Hotel Internationale
by Organometallic Tetrahedron
Summary: When a major facial injury leads Dawn into a mysterious hotel controlled by Xerneas, her beliefs about life and death are suddenly thrown into chaos. In a backdrop of distrustful trainers, lost memories, scheming Team Flare members, and a vengeful Destruction Pokemon, can Dawn ever trust her faulty perception of reality? Part-AU [Ikarishipping!]
1. Prologue

_Hotel Internationale (0)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of the characters. Just the story and hotel AU once we get to it._**

 ** _Also, beware of a minor discrepancy between the fanfic and common Pokemon knowledge. The Kalos legendaries are given genders here (X is female, Y and Z are male) even though they are technically genderless in the games._**

 ** _The story takes place mainly in the anime universe, although I will try to stay true to aspects of the games as well. After all, EVs and IVs are all lovely sources for headaches._**

* * *

 **Prologue X**

* * *

 _ **Late August, 2012**_

It was an ordinary morning in Allearth Forest. The forest displayed its usual vivacity as zigzagoons and sandshrews scurried about in search of berries, accompanied by a backdrop of abundant foliage and a gentle stream of sunlight from the canopy. If one was paying particular attention, one could detect the first signs of autumn in the yellowing tips of numerous leaves, and the premonition of a thunderstorm in the stuffiness of the ozonated atmosphere. But even the sharpest senses would not have predicted the tumultuous events that were destined to take place on that fateful day.

"Thunder punch," a deep male voice commanded calmly. This was followed by some commotion involving a brief self-introduction from the attacker (Pokemon announce their names when they attack) and screeches of pain from the victim (who could not care less which species attacked it). As the flurry of dust and leaves settled, the blur of purple and yellow resolved itself into a victorious electivire and a fainted noibat.

"Good," uttered Electivire's trainer, a male with long, plum-colored hair and cold gray eyes by the name of Paul Verity. He tossed a Pokeball towards the purple bat Pokemon, which captured it immediately.

"Elec vi vir," Electivire asked as he handed the Pokeball to his trainer. He wanted to know the species of the unfamiliar Pokemon he had just defeated.

Paul took out his Pokedex. The red wallet-sized device scanned the Pokeball in his hand. A high pitched voice began its recitation, "Noibat, the sound wave Pokemon. It-"

"That voice is annoying," Paul stated flatly as he cut off the sound on his Pokedex. He proceeded to scroll through the rest of the information. "Noibat is a flying and dragon type, which won't do any good against Brandon. This one's got decent speed, but a limited moveset. It's only at level 10."

Paul paused for a moment, then made a very tired statement. "It took you two attempts to defeat. That's pathetic for a sixty level difference."

Electivire simply grunted to acknowledge his trainer's remark. To a Pokemon with the generic trainer, this lack of repentance might seem odd, if not a little impudent. Even Electivire himself might have apologized once upon a time, but that was before he had grown used to Paul's style of training. Over the years, the Thunderbolt Pokemon had grown desensitized to Paul's criticism, which was directed, on average, to each of his Pokemon at least two times an hour.

"Is it worth keeping?"

Now that surprised Electivire. His trainer always made firm decisions, and never asked anyone, let alone his Pokemon, for advice. With Paul's pride, Electivire figured that the purple-haired trainer would sooner eat a kilogram of trubbish than ask for someone's opinion.

"I'm asking you a question, Electivire. Should I release the noibat?" Paul sounded impatient.

"Vire," Electivire nodded. After only a brief battle, Electivire could tell that the noibat had a strong personality. Although weak and dreadfully unskilled, it was very brave in its struggles against the Thunderbolt Pokémon, which, in a way, reminded Electivire of his unevolved self. After all that time spent under Torterra's shadow, it would be nice to see a member of the younger generation grow up following his footsteps.

"I'll trust your judgement then." Paul smoothly pocketed the Pokeball and motioned to Electivire that they should get going.

But when Electivire glanced at Paul's Pokedex just before he put it away, he noticed that the noibat's IV total was only 63. Furthermore, what was supposedly a limited moveset consisted only of the move screech.

 _So why did Paul keep the noibat at his request?_

* * *

For the next couple of hours, the complementary color duo of purple trainer and yellow Pokemon treaded forward in silence. The canopy had gradually thickened, and the density of insect life increased exponentially with the humidity.

"Elec vir tivire," the thunderbolt Pokemon commented sarcastically. He thought Paul should assemble a bug-type army with all the scatterbug they kept accidentally stepping on.

"I'd love to see what Brandon's regirock would do against 20 different vivillon forms," Paul responded with an equal dose of cynicism. "Seriously, we're here to seek out rare, powerful Pokemon to strengthen our team. Keep your senses alert."

The skill with which Paul turned every conversation into a command to his Pokemon was exceptional. The perfect chance for small-talk thus transformed into another period of endless silence. The pair continued their monotonous trek.

Just when Electivire was getting bored out of his mind, a pulse of golden light suddenly flashed from behind the trees in front of his path.

"Vire!" Electivire leapt forward, intending to seek out the abnormal light source. A firm hand restrained him, however.

"Careful," Paul warned, though his expression did not change. "You see that?"

As the glow intensified to a white-hot radiance, a stag-like creature emerged from the trees. For a moment, its features were distinguishable - a long neck, four slender legs, and multicolored, branched antlers.

"Xerneas," Paul whispered under his breath.

As though it sensed his presence, the Life Pokemon erupted in another shower of golden light. The formless supernova shrank in size, becoming bluer, until it was only a wisp of light like a comet, barely detectable. The light darted rapidly into the roots of a nearby tree, sparked like fireworks, and disappeared.

Electivire was in awe. His mouth was gaping open.

"Cut that out. You're making a fool of yourself with that drooling." Electivire immediately refocused.

"I want to catch it. We've got to find it again," Paul stated simply.

Electivire looked at his trainer as if Paul had suddenly grown a pair of shiny golden antlers himself.

"What? Stop staring like that. You're going to help me catch a legendary today."

As Paul's tone made it clear that there was no room for negotiation, Electivire set out towards the direction where Xerneas disappeared. Moments later, both trainer and Pokemon emerged in a treeless part of the forest.

They entered a grassland of sorts, with small pines and low-lying shrubs characteristic of primary succession. Some areas had only moss growing on bare rock. Lining a few of the stones was a shiny pink substance with a quartz-like structure. It was Kalosian diamond.

"Carbink! Car car bink!" A dozen of rowdy carbink suddenly emerged from beneath the rocks. They were rather pudgy-looking, with cone-shaped bodies and rabbit-like ears. Apart from the leader who had longer ears and a fluffier collar, all of the other carbink looked like clones. Completely oblivious to Paul and Electivire, they marched - or rather hopped - deeper into the clearing.

"Vire?" Electivire asked.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Of course we follow them. They're fairy types, so they're attracted to the aura of Xerneas."

The carbink were awfully slow, so it was not until half an hour later that they stopped at the edge of a giant hole. At least, most of the carbink stopped. The motion was too abrupt for two of them, whose forward momentum caused them to fall. One of the carbink tumbled towards the bottom of the pit, squealing desperately as it rolled. The other carbink was caught by Electivire's tails.

Electivire smiled amicably at the carbink. He knew that it was 'amicable' because the carbink immediately scrambled out of his grasp, and voluntarily succumbed to the force of gravity pulling it into the pit. If Electivire used his 'sinister' grin, he was certain that the carbink would launch itself into the air with enough epinephrine to counter gravity for at least half a minute, before falling to its death at terminal velocity.

It was only because he was being nice that the carbink survived. It was what his trainer had taught him to do.

Alas, his behavior around the carbink had attracted some unwanted hostility from the remaining carbink. They had begun to glower at him with their beady little eyes. Several of the carbink began building up silver spheres of energy, readying themselves for an ancient power attack.

"So they're teaming up on us, huh. Let's see how you do." Paul tossed a Pokeball into the air, from which emerged the weakest Pokemon in his possession - Noibat.

Electivire's brow twitched - he was not pleased about his trainer's decision - but he was prudent enough to raise no further complaints. It was clear that Paul was ready to test the noibat's limits by exploiting its type disadvantage to a maximum. Since, it was weak to both fairy and rock type moves, the battle against the carbink would serve as the perfect test.

"Electivire, stand back." Paul commanded just as the carbink released their ancient power attacks. Noibat took a direct hit and dropped to the ground.

"Hn, I was hoping you'd be faster than that." Paul sighed, then addressed Electivire. "I guess you'll have to battle by yourself then. Use thunder on the whole battlefield!"

Electivire raised his tails and began to charge. He could feel that the air particles were ionized, which he knew would help increase the power and accuracy of his attack. But it also warned him that a storm was coming. Soon.

"Elec-ti-Vire!" Electivire released a bright yellow wave of electricity, with the force of a thunderbolt and the range of a discharge. It hit all the carbink, who were subsequently knocked into the pit.

"Now that's more like it. Let's go. Xerneas is not here, and I don't like the scent of that storm." But as Paul turned to leave, Electivire did not follow.

"What's the matter with you?"

Electivire gazed down solemnly at the pit. When Paul commanded him to use thunder on the whole battlefield, he did not think that it would knock the noibat into the pit as well.

"Oh, that useless bat? We're abandoning it. It's not worth keeping."

But Electivire would not listen this time. He normally did not care whether Paul kept his new recruits or not, especially knowing that Paul's release rate was close to 80%. But for some reason, he did not agree with his trainer this time.

Without a moment of hesitation, he leaped into the pit.

* * *

Electivire did not expect to hit water. Nor did he expect to feel his trainer land softly beside him.

"Don't do something this stupid again," Paul complained. But Electivire was grinning. He just received that rare confirmation that, deep down, his cold-hearted trainer cared for him. _If I died today, I would die happy_.

"We need light. Froslass, stand by!" Electivire was puzzled when the ice-type emerged. As far as he knew, Froslass did not know any light-generating moves. Did Paul hit his head?

"Froslass, hold your ice shard. Electivire, use thunder on it."

Froslass created a sphere of ice, which Electivire proceeded to strike with electricity. The golden light illuminated the ice, momentarily creating a shimmering lantern.

Electivire snickered. This ice-chandelier was similar to the combination that Dawn had used two years ago at the Sinnoh Grand Festival with her mamoswine and pachirisu. Paul had claimed that he was not going to watch the competition, but he had stuck around the TV in the Pokemon Centre nonetheless. Now it was clear that he did pay attention.

 _Perhaps Paul harbored feelings for a particular blue-haired coordinator._

Electivire did not get much time to reminisce, however, as he spotted the noibat and another carbink on the edge of the murky pond in which they were standing. His eyes narrowed as he noticed that the carbink had gotten up and was ready to launch another attack at the weakened noibat.

He broke into a run along the edge of the pond, splashing the water all around him. He was preparing to use brick break on the carbink when the noibat woke up, and released a horrible, wailing, screech.

The screech echoed off the walls of the pit, rebounding off the oddly-shaped stalagmites and stalactites and resonating with the water. Within two seconds, it was amplified beyond the threshold of pain, and every human and Pokemon inside the pit became helplessly immobilized by the merciless onslaught of noise.

The noibat did not stop wailing. No one could make it stop.

Not when the water began to glow purple. Then red.

Not when the pond began to churn, building up into powerful vortex.

Nor when a large black cocoon covered in spikes and gray diamond-shaped marks levitated out of the water.

Not even when the cocoon began to open with a flash of red light, revealing a sharp beak and two glowing purple eyes. Yveltal - the Destruction Pokemon - was awake.

The Y-shaped creature pecked the noibat on its left ear, and the noibat immediately stopped screeching. Its body stiffened as its life force drained out, leaving behind an empty, petrified shell. The Sound Wave Pokemon was silenced forever.

Every living creature in the pit was released from their immobilization, but no one moved upon witnessing the scene before them. In the face of the harshness of death, even the most unfeeling of hearts beats with increased heaviness.

But life had to move on. The carbink soon recovered and regrouped. All thirteen of them found their way together, and the leading carbink with the puffy collar began to issue commands.

"Car car bink!" The older carbink began charging ancient power attacks again, while the younger carbink prepared to use rock throw. The after a few moments' delay, the leading carbink began building a sphere of pink energy, preparing to launch moonblast.

Yveltal was unfazed. It built up a purple orb of its own, between its wings. When the carbink released their rock type attacks, the Destruction Pokemon released a dark red beam of energy that cancelled out all twelve attacks while knocking out all of the clone carbink. The moonblast from the leading carbink could not be avoided, however, and it hit the large black bird on the left wing. There was a small explosion, but the Destruction Pokemon showed no signs of pain.

"Accomplices of Xerneas," Yveltal projected a telepathic message, "you are more unskilled than the last time you fought me. Has her majesty been careless with her training? I never understood why she always relied on such pathetically slow rocks. Perhaps she has already given up on you and sent you on this suicide mission!" Silent laughter ensued.

"Car carbink carbink bink bink!" The leading carbink protested loudly.

"Ah, so Xerneas did not expect me to wake yet. You are telling me that she wanted you to attack me in my sleep, exploiting my weakened state! But even then she is too fearful to come fight me herself! Ha!"

"Car bink bink-car bink!"

"So she would have come, were it not for the human here." Yveltal seemed to notice Paul for the first time. "Well, well. And that noisy bat belonged to him too, n'est-ce pas? Why, I must thank him for his assistance - for being at the wrong place at the wrong time! Xerneas is such a hypocrite, afraid of a little boy. Especially when she has her own hotel filled with human pawns too!" Yveltal gave Paul a once-over. "Ooh, he's so puny. What is he, ten?"

"Vire elec ti-ti vire!" Electivire, who had remained silent through this whole exchange, suddenly spoke out in an angry outburst. Froslass seemed angry too.

Paul raised a hand to silence them. But they had the Destruction Pokemon's full attention.

"You are quite the one to get excited, n'est-ce pas," Yveltal remarked, still amused, but with a hint of anger now that Electivire had insulted him while stating that Paul was not ten but rather seventeen. "Maybe I should teach you some respect. We can have a battle. Your little ghostly friend over there can help too. I'll give you the first move."

Electivire began to charge up electricity. Meanwhile, the leading carbink had launched another moonblast at Yveltal, which it avoided easily. Yveltal's wings glowed metallic silver, before it swooped down and used steel wing on the carbink. It fainted from the super-effective attack and fell into a pile with the other carbink.

Yveltal proceeded to do something truly nasty. It used psychic on the carbink and dropped them directly into the pond water. This woke them up, and they immediately started flailing. Meanwhile, the dark storm clouds that had gathered began to release their condensed water content. Fat gray droplets splashed into the pond, further drenching the carbink. Being rock types, they cried out in pain.

"Now that those little minions are out of the way, we can have our little battle. What do you say, human?"

"I decline."

Electivire could not believe his ears. Paul never turned down a battle. He stared at his trainer incredulously. Froslass was also confused.

"You know, that is not a valid answer. You have to battle me whether you want to or not," Yveltal sneered impatiently.

"Okay. I'll battle you."

Paul proceeded to do something truly unexpected. He returned both Froslass and Electivire to their Pokeballs. Then he released Honchcrow.

"What? You returned your electric and ice type in favor of flying type? You know that is the most stupid move I have seen today."

"Honchcrow is not battling you," Paul stated simply. His expression never wavered from its mask of indifference.

As Paul was speaking, his hands were working furiously with the straps on his backpack. He removed all of his less personal belongings from the bag to lighten its weight, and procured all six of his Pokeballs. He took off his waterproof purple and black jacket and wrapped it around the precious mechanical devices. Then he stuffed this package into the backpack, which he secured to Honchcrow's back.

"Fly straight to Veilstone City with this, and don't you dare come back for me," he whispered firmly. Honchcrow was very confused, but being one of Paul's more obedient Pokemon, he did not ask more questions as he flew away from the pit.

Once Honchcrow was gone for good, Paul turned to Yveltal. "I believe that you did not hear me correctly. You asked whether _I_ would battle you, and I agreed. _I_ am not Honchcrow or Electivire or even Froslass, although I have been told that I look like her." He smirked at his own dry humor, and continued, " _I am Paul Verity, and I challenge you to a one-on-one battle._ "

"Well, you sure are a crazy little human." Yveltal's eyes gleamed wickedly. "Tell me the terms of your challenge, and I will gladly accept. This shall be entertaining."

* * *

Paul knew that he was probably insane. The fact that Yveltal was laughing maniacally at him proved that. Can Pokemon even laugh telepathically? Or maybe Yveltal was not really laughing, and it was all his imagination. After all, no sane person saw two legendary Pokemon within the same day.

Even if Paul was not insane, he figured that he had the worst common sense ever. Challenging a legendary Pokemon who knew a move that could petrify you to a battle? Excellent idea! Especially when you did not have any of your own Pokemon, or even a decent weapon to fight with. Well, Paul supposed he did have weapons. He had a toothbrush, half a tube of mint toothpaste, a water bottle, a sleeping bag, a first aid kit, two cans of Pokemon food, and a flashlight.

Wait - a flashlight? Why did he not remember that earlier. He could have avoided the trouble of using one of the Troublesome Girl's tactics to light up the pit if he had remembered earlier (not that ice chandelier was a bad move, but still). Wow, he really was stupid today.

"Human boy, have you already given up? You are hitting yourself in the face! Perhaps your challenge today is to see whether you or I can kill you faster." Yveltal sounded a bit impatient.

It was only then that Paul realized he had face-palmed himself. Hard.

Paul was thinking furiously. He needed a strategy to survive, or at least have a decent chance at survival. He knew that fighting was not going to work. It was why he had sent away all of his Pokemon. Even with his entire team, Paul doubted that he could beat Yveltal. He had seen how risky that Oblivion Wing was: one hit, and you turn to stone.

He was still racking his mind for a plan when Yveltal 'spoke' again."You know, if you do not give me an answer soon, I will just have to decide for you."

That taunt was too familiar. Inexplicable anger flared, and Paul's mind suddenly became a lot sharper. All remaining fear of death that lingered in his consciousness dissipated, and Paul felt the sudden urge to charge forward and bash Yveltal's head with a flashlight. Not wanting to be consumed by emotion, however, Paul quickly calmed his nerves and began to search for the motivation for his anger.

He was indignant about Noibat's death. No one, not even a weak Pokemon he was going to abandon anyways, deserved to die. Sure, Paul was abusive and put his Pokemon through very painful training measures, but he never purposefully killed one of his Pokemon (he was close once though). But no, that was not the reason why he was angry.

Looking up at those glowing purple eyes, the pieces suddenly fell into place.

The answer was so obvious that Paul was surprised he did not make the connection until now.

It was his father. It was always his father. Was it ever anyone else?

Even eight years after his father's death, Paul was still living under his influence.

He always thought that he understood his father. After all, Paul still behaved like him sometimes. It was because he did not wish to repeat his father's mistakes that he took on a persona of indifference, hoping that if he did not allow himself to feel, he would eventually stop feeling. But now he realized that his understanding was flawed.

Yveltal's bitterness - it made sense only if...

"You want revenge," Paul blurted out.

"Why do you think that?" Yveltal stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Your tone," Paul stated simply, without elaboration. When Yveltal continued in its state of bewilderment, Paul decided to offer an explanation. "When you addressed the carbink, you had to insult Xerneas in every way possible. You hate her."

"Of course I hate her! She is always sending her minions to attack me in my slumber, never allowing me to gather enough energy to fight her. She is a despicable monster, yet Pokemon love her because she brings life! Of course, no one knows that she can take life just as easily. She feeds on memories, just as I feed on entropy-" Yveltal suddenly paused. After a moment to recollect its thoughts, it continued more calmly, "Ah, but that is not important to you, little human. You will die before this storm is over."

"But it is," Paul insisted, "I can help you defeat Xerneas." He loathed himself for being so persistent, sticking his nose in other Pokemon's business. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

"And how do you think you can do that?"

"Earlier, you mentioned that Xerneas owns a hotel. Now, you claim that she feeds on memories. I am positive that those things are related. I can help you sabotage her hotel if it helps to weaken her, and in exchange, I want you to restore life to my noibat and let me go free."

"Ah, but you are asking for quite the bargain here! Asking for two things in exchange for one little favor. Why do you think I would agree to that?"

"You will agree. I can see that this matter of Xerneas is not some 'little favor'. To you, she is not just any enemy."

"But why?"

Paul knew that he was making progress. Yveltal had not contradicted any of his hypotheses, meaning that his guesses were correct. He smirked slightly to himself as he placed what he hoped would be the final straw.

"Because you loved her. And she betrayed you in the worst way possible."

Shock - that was the only way to describe the Destruction Pokemon's expression at that moment. But it quickly turned to all-consuming rage.

"How could you possibly know?! Xerneas must have sent you. That is the only explanation. You are her spy. I should have known that earlier when you came with the carbink!" Yveltal began to store energy for an oblivion wing attack.

This is the end. Paul though to himself. He just had to be stupid again. This was why he tended not to vocalize his thoughts unless it was absolutely necessary. When you talked too much, you increased your chances of drowning in your own stupidity. Like now.

But the more he stared at the purple orb of energy between Yveltal's wings, the more he found it strange. Yveltal was not making a beam. It seemed to be weaving a net.

Yveltal broke the suspense by 'speaking' again. "Ah little human, you see, it does not matter if you belong to Xerneas or not. I actually liked your idea, and so I will accept your deal after all!" Yveltal laughed again. "But on one condition. I will save your noibat, but I will not let you go free. I will capture you with this net and you can be my pawn against Xerneas. And when we are done with her, you will help me defeat our father. You can be my plaything for all of eternity!"

Now, Paul was certain that Yveltal resembled his father. They both had that psychopathic mindset and never-ending grief. From that simple speech, he understood Yveltal's insecurities, and he finally knew what his one-on-one battle will be.

"Fine. I agree."

"Ah, wonderful, so we can begin!"

"But we have not yet battled," Paul stated calmly.

"You were the one who chickened out of the battle and asked for a deal instead."

"That deal was just extra. My challenge still stands. I, Paul Shinji Verity, challenge you to a mental battle. My will against yours. If you wish to possess me, you will have to crush my freedom of thought first."

"Now, this really is interesting! I accept, little human. Let's get started!" With a piercing screech even more terrible than noibat's wail, Yveltal released a wave of dark energy towards the purple-haired trainer.

Paul felt as if he was drowning in emotions. He felt thousands of years of loneliness and despair crashing upon him like a tidal wave. Wrath and envy and pride beyond anything he had ever experienced threatened to engulf him in their greedy clutches, slowly devouring his conciousness until he was only a shell of his former self.

But raw emotions he could handle. _I am Paul Verity_ , he chanted to himself. As the darkness grew heavier and the swirling cyclone of memories tore at his identity, he kept a firm hold on the anchor that was his own goals and ambitions. _My father could not crush me, and neither can you._

His anchor was growing stronger by the minute, and the tumultuous currents of his opponent's emotions were receding. Paul felt willpower strengthen, and his thoughts became more clear. I have to survive. I have to defeat Brandon and Cynthia. I have to accomplish what Reggie never achieved. I cannot let my father control me. I will crush my father. I will vanquish my sister.

Wait - sister? Paul did not have a sister. But the more he thought about it, the more confused he grew. Did he have a sister?

Paul realized belatedly that he had misjudged Yveltal. He was not like his father. Xerneas was not a former lover, but rather a dominant family member who gained their father's powers. The Destruction Pokemon was not bitter from love. He felt betrayed because he was always second best. _Yveltal was like Paul._

Or rather, Paul _was_ Yveltal. They had they same goals. They had the same grievances.  
 _They were one._

The purple net of energy descended upon the unconscious bodies of a purple-haired trainer and a red Y-shaped Pokemon, wrapping them together into a cocoon. By the time the storm receded, the two figures had become so tightly integrated that it was impossible tell one from the other.

Rays of sunlight again descended upon Allearth Forest, revealing another ordinary morning. Leaves gleamed brightly with crystalline droplets from the previous day's storm. Accompanied by a backdrop of diamond-like foliage, the zigzagoons and sandshrews continued their usual preparations for the winter. If one was paying particular attention, however, one would notice a particularly barren part of the forest - one that consisted of mosses and shrubs indicative of primary succession.

Within this area, a solitary noibat could be heard screeching, with tears in its eyes.


	2. I) The Oblivion Wing

_Hotel Internationale (1)_

 ** _*Warning: minor one-sided penguinshipping and really subtle twinleafshipping for plot development purposes in this chapter_**

* * *

 **I. The Oblivion Wing**

* * *

"Piplup! Quilava! Spotlight!" An enthusiastic voice exclaimed.

A young female in a puffy pink dress stood in the centre of the stage. Her cerulean eyes shone with pride as her Pokemon executed perfectly synchronized acrobatics in midair. Her midnight blue hair billowed gracefully as a beautiful combination of flame wheel and whirlpool dissolved itself into a shower of sparkling fireworks. A confident smile lit up her face as the audience cheered wildly for her stunning appeal.

This was the Hoenn Grand Festival, and she was going to win.

At the age of fifteen, Dawn Berlitz was just starting to reach the peak of her life. She was famous across multiple Pokemon regions for being both a talented Pokemon Coordinator and an exceptional Pokemon Stylist. She had a constantly expanding network of supportive friends, including new acquaintances whom she had recently met on her journey to Unova. Perhaps the only thing she lacked was a potential love interest, but considering her young age, there was no need to worry about that at the moment.

Indeed, there was no need to worry as Dawn had just ranked the highest among over 300 participants in the appeals round.

Dawn had barely reached the door of the backstage waiting room when a blur of auburn and green tackled her into a bear hug.

"Dee-Dee, you were a-maze-ing back there! Did'ya know the scores are out? You're number one! You know how the- wryuyuhgvupuhooouhn!" Dawn put a hand over the mouth of her childhood friend and fellow Grand Festival Contestant.

"Stop blabbering, Kenny. You're disrupting people!" Dawn chastised. Kenny blinked and gazed at Dawn innocently with his big black eyes.

As expected, Dawn released her hand from Kenny's mouth. "What are you doing? Giving me the puppy dog eyes?!"

"Hey, I was trying to get you to let go!" Kenny gasped.

"Huh," Dawn huffed a little angrily.

"Chillax, Dee-Dee! No need to be so serious. I was only havin' a little fun!"

"How do you expect me to do that when you're acting so immaturely? And don't you DARE call me Dee-Dee!" Dawn was practically screaming now. This earned some annoyed glares from some of the other contestants.

"Man, I forgot how much you tend to over-react, Dawn," a new voice declared. A blond trainer wearing an orange and white striped top by the name of Barry placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder.

Kenny snickered. "Look who's complaining about over-reacting." After all, they all knew that, out of the three friends from Twinleaf Town, Barry was the most hyperactive.

Dawn did not seem to pay attention to Kenny's remark. She was still fuming, hands on her hips. Despite the fact that Kenny found her anger cute, he knew that he had to defuse the situation soon. Kenny winked at Barry and rolled his eyes at Dawn, which the blond trainer immediately understood.

"You too Barry! Are you teaming up on-" This time, it was Dawn's turn to be subdued. Kenny had just stuffed a bright green sock in Dawn's mouth (a clean one, but why Kenny carried extra socks with him, no one knew). Meanwhile, Barry had lifted Dawn up from the ground, and together, the two mischievous males hauled the blue-haired coordinator away from the waiting room.

Dawn had been dragged for over two minutes before her captors released her near Stern's Shipyard. (They were in Slateport)

"You know, if you're trying to abduct me so you can win the Ribbon Cup, it's not going to work," Dawn chastised Kenny. Then she turned to Barry, "It's nice to see you again, Barry. But is it really necessary to be such a jerk? I thought you were the nice one!"

"Does that mean you expect bad behavior from me, Dee-Dee?" Kenny inquired.

"Oh shut up, Kenny! You know it's true!" Dawn exclaimed.

"You know, I was going to give you a present, but since you're being so moody today, I guess I won't," Kenny started to walk away, and Barry turned to follow.

For a moment, Dawn considered giving another angry retort. But the idea of presents was too appealing. Truthfully, she was not even that enraged, and to sacrifice a bit of pride for a nice gift? Why not?

Dawn suddenly beamed radiantly at Kenny. "Aww, Kenny, you're too nice to do that to me. You know I'd love to see that present you have. Pleaaase?"

"Sure, why not? Since you're suddenly being so nice." Kenny smirked mischievously as he procured a pair of bright green socks. Barry was trying desperately not to laugh.

"What is-"

"Shh." Kenny motioned for Dawn to wait, and the blue haired coordinator's hands were back on her hips. "I have a sophisticated poem to go along with this equally elegant present," Kenny announced.

After a loud cough to clear his throat, he began to recite in a very formal tone, purposefully adopting a serious facial expression, which contrasted with the socks dangling from his right hand.

 _"There once was a maiden named Dawn,  
_ _Who was gifted green socks to put on.  
_ _She felt such strong love at first sight,  
_ _That she kissed them in delight,  
_ _And her lips touched a big fat gastrodon!" (Sea slug)_

It was Barry who spoke first. "Man, why did you not show me this poem before? If I knew you were gonna recite that, I'd never have agreed to this plan! I'm gonna have to fine you!"

"It was spontaneous! There's no way I could've shown you cuz I composed it on the spot!" Kenny retorted. Now it was the boys' turn to fight.

Dawn did not know whether she should be amused or offended. The limerick was shamelessly inappropriate, but it was also quite simply hilarious. It was a good chance to punish Kenny, however, as Barry was no longer siding with him.

"So, Kenny. You're saying I should kiss these socks?" Dawn inquired in a deceptively sweet tone. She winked at Barry in case he interrupted.

"Yeah, sure." Kenny replied, slightly bewildered by Dawn's question. He watched as Dawn snatched the socks from his hand and proceeded to hold them at mouth-level.

"Now, Kenny, I want you to count down from three. When you say 'go', I will kiss these socks."

Kenny was suspicious. But he did what he was told.

"Three!" Dawn took a step closer to Kenny, sock held high.

"Two!" Dawn took another step towards Kenny.

"One!" Dawn was now only forty centimeters away from Kenny. She puckered her lips towards the socks.

"GO!" Dawn flicked the socks right towards Kenny. One of them hit Kenny's chin and dropped to the ground, but the other sock landed right inside Kenny's open mouth.

Kenny immediately yanked the sock out of his mouth, dropping it so the sock joined its partner on the sidewalk. Then he voiced an accusation at Dawn. "You didn't kiss the socks.

"Who said I didn't?" Dawn rebuked calmly.

"Well, I don't know if you've checked the dictionary, but I'm pretty sure 'kissing' doesn't involve hands."

At this Barry showed Kenny the screen of his Poketch. "I'm afraid Dawn's got you there. A 'kiss' can be a 'slight touch or contact' as in dewdrops kissing leaves. I believe Dawn flicked the socks gently enough for it to count."

"And it was just unfortunate that your mouth was in the way!" Dawn exclaimed happily. She burst into giggles, and Barry laughed too.

Kenny was embarrassed, but watching his two best friends, he decided that the situation was indeed rather funny. His friends were already doubling over with laughter, and their elation was so contagious that Kenny could not help but join in.

* * *

Paul had a headache. He had fought free of Yveltal's mind, but he knew the Destruction Pokemon would re-exert his influence at any moment. He and Yveltal had been fighting for over two weeks, and Paul was always defending his consciousness against Yveltal's stronger will. It was a constant struggle to remember his identity - well, Paul's identity. He was not even sure if he was Paul anymore.

Paul who? He was Paul Something, but he could not recall that 'Something'. So he had already lost his surname. He hoped he did not lose his first name too.

Glancing around, he noticed whispy clouds around him. His wings were cold and heavy with their condensed water content. Below him stretched an endless expanse of blue ocean. So he was still in Yveltal's physical form.

Well, at least he was out of Allearth Forest for the moment. Yveltal's influence was always stronger there. He vaguely remembered that the nearest region to Kalos was Hoenn. Perhaps he would reach its southwestern tip in a few days.

What was he planning to do in Hoenn? He could not remember. He did not even remember why he was in Kalos. Well, he did remember: he was there for revenge against his sister Xerneas. So why did he leave Allearth Forest?

His mind grew heavier as darkness clouded his capacity for reason. Destruction was taking control again. The nameless human had only enough time to recall the location of Slateport City in Hoenn before fading into oblivion.

* * *

By the time the Twinleaf trio met again, two rounds of battles had already passed. They were down to the top 8 contestants, and both Dawn and Kenny remained undefeated. Barry was still there for moral support, claiming that he had to cheer on his 'penguin buddies'.

It was a sunny afternoon in the exotic seaside port city, and the heat remained stifling even though it was mid-September. The trio had just purchased some refreshing ice cream from the famous Slateport Market for a break from some particularly grueling contest battles that morning.

"Hey Barry, you wanna trade ice cream with me?" Kenny implored. He made a disgruntled expression as he licked his belue berry flavored dessert. It was extremely sour, with a hint of spiciness that made it even more unappetizing.

Barry gave no reply. The only indication that the trainer had heard the question was the fact that he began to devour his oran berry ice cream at the speed of a hungry munchlax. In less than three gulps, he had consumed all of the ice cream and half of the cone.

"I'd trade with you, but there's like none left. Unless you want the cone," Barry finally replied.

Kenny knew that his blond friend had finished the ice cream on purpose, but decided not to comment on it. Instead, he turned to Dawn, who was daintily licking the outside of a shiny sphere of pink ice cream.

"Dee-Dee, do _you_ wanna trade?"

Without looking up from her snack, Dawn commented tiredly. "Kenny, it's not our fault that your knowledge of berry flavors is so limited. If you don't like your ice cream, just go buy another one."

"Hey, I'm not saying that I don't like the flavor! I just wanted to try your ice cream," Kenny quickly came up with an excuse.

"Aww, c'mon Kenny. Even I would've done better than that! Pecha berry is like the first flavor they made from back when we were kids. Who hasn't tried it? Just admit that you shouldn't have listened to that senile old lady's recommendation of the belue berry flavor," Barry immediately pointed out.

"Maybe I _do_ like my ice cream. I never said I don't," Kenny retorted. To prove his point, he gulped down a mouthful of sour ice cream. He could not help but make a face, however.

Dawn giggled. "I think your facial expression right now says otherwise."

"Is this revenge from the green sock incident? Cuz if it is, I'll have you know that you're a hypocrite since you actually accepted my present."

"Maybe I just don't want to get infected with whatever microorganism you happen to be carrying," Dawn replied.

"Oh, don't tell me you're worried you'd get a disease from eating my ice cream! Technically, you've already shared an indirect kiss with me. So what's there to worry 'bout?"

"Wait, what?! You two kissed? When was this?" Barry was indignant.

"We never kissed! What're you talking about, Kenny?" Dawn rebuked.

A pair of angry stares were on Kenny. Rather than sweat-drop in nervousness, the male coordinator simply took a deep breath. "Well, you see. If I remember correctly, I used the left sock to cover your mouth yesterday, and you'd retaliated by throwing that same sock into my mouth. So I'd say we kissed!"

"Phew. I thought you'd finally asked Dawn that question without me knowing!" Barry appeared relieved.

Dawn, however, was furious. "Kenny, there's no such thing as a left sock! Last time I checked, those green socks had no chirality. So the chance that we'd shared the same sock is at most 50 percent-"

"So you admit there's a high probability we'd shared a sock." Kenny was still pressing the issue.

"I'm not done talking yet. The chance is actually closer to zero, since you forget that one of the socks hit the ground while the other hit your mouth. I threw them with roughly the same force, so the one that was heavier was the one that hit lower. And obviously, the heavier one is the one with my saliva."

This was quite a witty remark, as Kenny was momentarily speechless. Barry spoke, however.

"Hey, before you two get into another argument, I think Kenny should ask Dawn that question. You've gotta stop putting it off, Kenny."

"Yeah, Kenny, what's that you want to ask me?" Dawn was curious.

The atmosphere suddenly became charged with tension. Clearly, this was an important question.

"Umm, I was going to ask...err...Dee-Dee, wouldyouliketotravelwithme?" Kenny blurted out the last sentence with such nervous energy that the words were an incoherent jumble.

"What did you say?" As Dawn did not have superhuman hearing, she did not understand.

"Okay, so, Dawn Berlitz." He paused to gather his thoughts, and Dawn waited patiently. She knew that Kenny did not use her given name unless he was being serious.

"I was wondering if, after this Grand Festival, you would travel with Barry and I in Kanto."

"Oh," Dawn was mildly surprised. She had been expecting a much more serious question. "But I haven't decided if I want to continue competing in more contests after this. I might take some time off to do some fashion designing."

In his disappointment at Dawn's polite refusal, Kenny issued a challenge. "If I win against you in this Grand Festival, you're travelling with me."

"Kenny, is there really a need to travel together? You know that as long as we share the same goal of becoming the top coordinator, we'd run into each other again, like now, right?" Dawn replied.

"But Dawn, it would be fun to travel together!" Barry weighed in.

Kenny also spoke. "Dawn, hear me out, okay? You'd said the same thing when I asked to travel with you after the Sinnoh Grand Festival, that as long as we share the same goal, we'd see each other again. Well, it was very hard to find you again. I was in Sinnoh, and I didn't hear anything from you until Barry showed up. _That's_ when I knew you were in Hoenn. You know how hard it was to catch up? If you hadn't gone to Unova and then Johto for two months, I'd never have collected enough ribbons to enter this Grand Festival, which means I _wouldn't_ have seen you again until you returned to Twinleaf or something!"

"But Kenny, it's only been two years. That's hardly a long time when we're both travelling. I haven't seen May or Zoey for even longer than that. Why is it so important that we see each other all the time?"

"Dawn, I really don't want to say this, but you leave me no choice." Kenny took a deep breath as if to calm himself. His cheeks were turning pink.

"I like you."

"What?"

"I like you, Dawn, as more than a friend. I have a crush on you, okay?"

Dawn was shocked. This confession was very unexpected and it left her tongue-tied. Being a very beautiful and talented girl, she was used to receiving presents, compliments, even admiration from members of the opposite gender. But no one had expressed romantic interest in her. That is, not before now.

"WHAT?! You like Dawn? Why didn't you tell me before?" Barry burst out, before either coordinator could comment further on the matter.

Ignoring Barry's outburst, Dawn spoke up. "Uh, Kenny? This is a bit much for me to handle right now. Can we discuss this after the Grand Festival?"

Kenny had the strangest expression on his face. It was as if he still couldn't quite believe he had just admitted his feelings to Dawn. But he had to respond to Dawn's words.

"Dawn, can you at least agree to one thing?"

"Maybe?"

"If I win in our contest battle, will you at least _consider_ travelling with me?" Kenny pleaded.

"Certainly, Kenny. But you'll have to survive through the quarter and semi-finals first. And even then, don't expect me to go easy on you."

* * *

The next morning passed in a blur. Dawn effortlessly defeated a coordinator from Lilycove City with minimal deductions despite being distracted. She proceeded to sweep the floor with a Slateport native. The battle had ended in less than three minutes when she knocked out both of her opponents Pokemon with a powerful combination from bunneary and mamoswine.

It was now Kenny's turn at the semi-finals, and Dawn watched anxiously from the waiting room. The opponent was a male from Verdanturf Town. Knowing that his dusknoir and sableye had a type advantage over Kenny's alakazam, this was going to be a tough battle.

Subconsciously, Dawn hugged Piplup tighter, resulting in squeals of complaint from the penguin. "Pip lup lup!"

"Sorry Piplup, I didn't mean to!"

"Lup!" Piplup crossed his fins in front of his chest, his head held high. He was not happy that Dawn was using him as a stress ball.

"I know, I know. I'm just a little nervous, that's all. No need to worry!"

"Pip lup lup pip pip," Piplup asserted. He did not think that Dawn had any reason to be concerned. She had won both her contest battles this morning and was well on her way to securing the Ribbon Cup. _Ever since when was his trainer invested in other people's contest battles?_

"But Piplup, if Kenny wins, I'm going to have to battle him in the final round, and that's going to be so stressful given our deal! And if he doesn't win, then I'll still have to confront him about my love interests! I don't know what to do."

"Lup!" Piplup covered his invisible ears with his flippers. He was not interested in his trainer's issues, especially since he himself was still heartbroken over a pretty meloetta from Unova.

"This is why I don't talk to Pokemon about my relationship problems..." Dawn muttered to herself.

It turned out that her conversation with Piplup had been an excellent distraction, as Kenny's battle was nearly over. Dawn had just turned to witness the final explosion before the timer went out and Kenny was declared the victor by a minuscule point difference.

She was not even aware that she had been hoping that Kenny would be eliminated before she had to battle him until the moment he won.

* * *

Fate was in Dawn's favor that day as she tactfully avoided speaking to Kenny by accepting interviews from various media outlets. The first was from Lilian Meridian's assistant on Dawn's thoughts on becoming 'Hoenn's next top coordinator'. The second was from Gabby and Ty on 'the 20 most popular public figures under age 20'. Even Rhonda from _Sinnoh Now_ showed up, which was quite a surprise, but she insisted on speaking to Dawn about possibly surpassing her mother Johanna in fame in the contest world once she won the Ribbon Cup.

All in all, it was a rather taxing evening. The blue-haired coordinator had a sore tongue by the end of it, as well as hand cramps from giving out autographs to the bystanders. Although she enjoyed attention, she preferred to keep her public and private life separate, and did not give interviews very often in her spare time. But today was an exception, as she was in desperate need of a distraction from her thoughts on her upcoming battle with Kenny.

Unfortunately, it was nearly midnight by the time she was ready for bed, and she realized belatedly that she had still not prepared for the final round.

"Great, I'm sure Kenny's already come up with a strategy to win, and I haven't even picked my Pokemon yet," Dawn sighed.

 _Or you could just let Kenny win_ , a small voice remarked at the back of her head.

"Of course I can't do that!" Dawn exclaimed. Then she realized she had just been talking to herself, out loud.

Wow, she must have been extra nervous that night if she was really that paranoid. She did not remember being this apprehensive since her first round of contests back in the Sinnoh region. Was this Kenny's strategy to win? If it was, it certainly seemed to be working.

Reflecting on the day's events, Dawn was surprised that she lasted so long in the contest battles. She was absentminded all morning, contemplating her feelings for Kenny. Regardless of the result of tomorrow's battle, should she travel with him after the contest? And more importantly, how did she feel about Kenny? Did she like him? It was all very confusing.

Maybe she should travel with him, just to see if she really did have feelings for her mischievous childhood friend.

Dawn was still thinking about her upcoming contest battle and Kenny's personality traits in general when she heard a faint rustling sound outside her open, first-floor window. Deciding that she was too anxious to sleep anyways, she crawled towards the window and peered outside.

A zigzagoon was scuttling about in the grass. It seemed to be rather agitated. In the faint light from the street lamps outside, Dawn also noticed several wingulls perched on a nearby tree. Like the zigzagoon, they seemed to be growing restless.

An unnaturally chilly breeze blew beneath the glass pane, and Dawn shivered slightly.

Suddenly, the zigzagoon screeched loudly and scurried away, running down the sidewalk at an abnormally fast pace. The wingulls soon followed, and soon, the sound of at least a dozen pairs of wings could be heard, all frantically taking off from their roosting places.

Finding all this behavior from diurnal Pokemon to be rather bizarre, Dawn put on her pink boots and headed outside in her nightgown.

She witnessed a breathtaking sight. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes were on the move, emerging from hiding places she did not even know existed. They seemed to be scrambling at an agitated pace towards the northern forest. Not understanding why all the city-dwelling Pokemon were mobilized at midnight, she released Piplup from her Pokeball.

Piplup emerged with reluctance. He yawned groggily and glanced lazily at his trainer for instructions.

"Hey Piplup, do you know why all these Pokemon are leaving the city?"

"Pip piplup." Piplup was clearly confused. But he went up to the nearest Pokemon, which happened to be a gulpin, and started a very intense discussion in which Piplup did most of the talking.

"Lup pip lup!"

"Guhhhh"

"Pip lup!"

"Guhhh"

"Pip pip lup!"

"Guhhh"

Piplup turned back to Dawn as the gulpin crawled away. "Piplup..." Piplup pointed a flipper towards the beach.

Dawn looked towards the southern beach. "Is something coming?" She did not understand most of Piplup's conversation with the gulpin, but from what she gathered, it seemed as though the Pokemon were running away from something dangerous. She felt an ominous sense of foreboding.

"Piplup!" Piplup yelled with much more urgency.

Dawn squinted her eyes. She could faintly see a shadow flying over the beach, something that looked like a large bird. It was rapidly closing in on the Slateport Market.

As the bird flew closer, Dawn saw a pair of glowing purple eyes.

"What is that?" She gasped in horror. If this was a Pokemon, it was not anything that she had ever encountered before.

Between its wings, the creature built a glowing purple orb of dark energy. After a moment of suspense, it launched a dark red beam towards the market.

The impact was immediate and horrifying. Metal and plastic were torn to pieces by the force of a violent hurricane. Wooden posts that had endured the ocean's wrath for decades were bent and broken beyond repair. Thousands of products, from dolls, to food, to vitamins, were flung into the air at speeds near terminal velocity. And since they were flying upwards, Newton himself would likely have experienced a mental breakdown in his grave.

Within seconds, the entire Slateport Market, once so animated and lively, was completely destroyed. Obliterated. Turned to debris.

The Destruction Pokemon did not stop. Indeed, it did not show the faintest reaction to the havoc it had wreaked. It continued to fly forward with deadly purpose, sinister purple eyes glued on its next target, which happened to have human inhabitants.

 _Oh no,_ Dawn thought to herself. _It's aiming for my hotel next! That's where all the contest participants are!_

Dawn knew that she had to take action. She immediately ran back into the lobby, with Piplup scrambling to follow. Impulsively, she pulled the nearest fire alarm. Next, she did an even more reckless thing. She pulled out two Pokeballs and prepared for battle.

"Togekiss! Pachirisu! Spotlight!" Two very befuddled Pokemon emerged, but they immediately became alert as they witnessed the serious expression on their trainer's face.

"Togekiss, I need a ride. Piplup and Pachirisu, hop on!" Without hesitation, Dawn leaped onto the back of the Jubilee Pokemon and her two other Pokemon did the same. Together, they charged out of the hotel's automatic doors, with Togekiss already beginning to take flight.

Outside, the evil bird had already launched another Oblivion Wing attack, this time at the hotel. Being made of concrete, the edifice was not immediately destroyed like the market, but it nonetheless suffered some serious damage. A couple of balconies were cracked, and broken glass was flying out of several windows. Screams could be heard as people scrambled to get out of bed, awoken by the combined effect of the fire alarm and the impact of a forceful attack.

Dawn only took a moment to notice this, however, as her attention was captured by a much more dire sight. A wingull, one of the slower ones to escape, had been hit by the Oblivion Wing. Its feathers were taking on a grayish hue as it screeched out in pain.

Then it dropped to the ground like a stone. Petrified.

So that's what this Pokemon's attack could do. It could petrify any living organism upon contact. Dawn knew that she had to be extra careful when battling it.

With this new knowledge, Dawn made her move. As the Pokemon, which she decided to randomly nickname 'Grey', readied another Oblivion Wing attack, Dawn commanded her Pokemon to use flying-type effective moves.

"Piplup, ice beam! Pachirisu, thunderbolt!"

The two Pokemon simultaneously launched their attacks, which merged in midair to form a golden-blue beam. Grey screeched out in pain as it took a direct hit in its left wing and lost about two meters of altitude. It recovered quickly, however, and trained its vile purple eyes right on Dawn.

"Togekiss, fly! Don't let Grey hit you!" Despite Dawn's random nickname, the Jubilee Pokemon understood the command. She flew towards the eastern beach, with the Destruction Pokemon in devilish pursuit.

* * *

Yveltal was exasperated. He just could not crush that little purple-haired human! For a while, it was almost as if he was losing himself in someone else's desires. In fact, he did not even know why he was in Hoenn when he was supposed to be in Kalos.

Wait, ever since when did the regions have names? They were just Island Sigma and Forest X to him. Must be a human habit to name the regions. Paul had a strong will.

At least he had the human trapped in his body. He was going to crush him soon - he knew it! He only required the human's physical form and memories. He did not need his influence, and soon, Paul would cease to exist.

Ah, he made the mistake of saying 'Paul' again. He had to make sure the human forgot his name. It was how Xerneas controlled her puppets, and it would be how Yveltal broke the consciousness of the human inside him. Well, at least he did not remember the boy's surname anymore. That was a good sign.

He launched another Oblivion Wing at his target - a hotel. He despised buildings, hotels especially. His brother Reggie had forced him to live in one once, and it was quite unpleasant. Wait, what?

Arrrgh! This was so frustrating! He was becoming more like the human every day! He did not live in a hotel, and he did not have a brother with purple hair! He prepared another Oblivion Wing, determined to turn the entire city to rubble. If he destroyed the city, perhaps he would destroy Paul too.

He felt a cold painful sensation in his left wing, followed by a jolt of paralysis. Something was attacking him. He turned and noticed a young female in a pink nightgown with midnight blue hair.

Enraged, he chased after her, but not before beginning to feel memories resurface. Memories that were not his own. The girl looked achingly familiar...

* * *

Dawn was scared out of her mind. Why on earth did she just attack the most dangerous Pokemon on the planet? In her state of panic, Dawn realized belatedly that maybe she should have come up with a plan before she attacked Grey. Well, too late now.

This was one of those times when she had to be extra grateful to her trustworthy Pokemon. Piplup and Pachirisu launched their combined attack whenever Grey got too close. Togekiss was graceful as ever, dodging Oblivion Wings by mere centimeters at crucial moments.

Still, the opponent showed no signs of slowing down, and Dawn knew that her Pokemon were quickly tiring out.

 _At least Kenny and the other participants are safe_ , Dawn thought to herself. They were approaching the fountain beyond Stern's Shipyard, which meant they were leaving the most densely populated part of the city. Dawn hoped that most of the wild Pokemon had fled into the forest. That way, they would be safe, too.

Now to find a way to drown this beast in the ocean. But that was no easy task to accomplish. She had to find its weakness, but her brain was not working very well. She was still afraid, after all.

Piplup was panting heavily now. Pachirisu did not look much better. At least Togekiss was still flying steadily.

In desperation, she attempted turned around on Togekiss' back, and shouted at the Pokemon.

"Hey Grey!" She winced when she got no response. Of course Grey would not respond, that was not the creature's name. What was its name?

Dawn whipped out her trusty Pokedex and tried to scan the Pokemon. At that moment, Togekiss turned abruptly as another Oblivion Wing was launched her way, and Dawn dropped her Pokedex.

Well, she guessed she had to try random names until it responds. "Hey Fallabor, Verdanturf, Slateport, please stop attacking the city!" That seemed to be a mistake, as the Pokemon screeched angrily and charged at Togekiss with glowing silver wings.

Uh oh, Dawn thought, it's using steel wing, which is really bad for Togekiss. "Piplup, do something!"

But Piplup was too tired. He tried to use ice beam again, but failed. Pachirisu's cheeks sparked slightly, but it could no longer attack either.

At the last minute, Togekiss dodged out of the way, but she did not evade the attack completely. The tip of her wing was injured.

Since she knew they were too tired to battle, Dawn returned Piplup and Pachirisu to their Pokeballs. Togekiss was losing altitude, and was struggling not to crash head first into the beach. They were almost at the ocean now.

Grey looked disoriented. After the steel wing, it had somehow lost its target. It seemed to be flying in lopsided circles with its eyes shut tightly. It almost looked like Grey had a headache.

This was her chance. Dawn had to act. Now.

"Togekiss, use sky attack to send Grey into the water!"

Togekiss was reluctant to carry out her trainer's orders. If she used sky attack, she knew there was a high chance that Dawn would fall off.

Meanwhile, Grey was still behaving strangely, but it was building up energy for another Oblivion Wing.

"Sky attack! Go!"

"Toge Kiiiiss!" Togekiss cried as her body glowed white and she slammed into the Destruction Pokemon and they free fell towards the ocean. There was a small explosion as energy from the Oblivion Wing exploded in midair, and Dawn had just enough time to recall Togekiss before she was further injured.

The coordinator, however, was not so lucky. The right side of her face flared up in pain as she was hit by the unformed Oblivion Wing, as did her left rib cage.

As the pain threatened to overwhelm her, she grabbed onto the back of the Destruction Pokemon and delivered one final blow with her fist. She hoped it was enough to keep the Pokemon down before the police and other trainers arrived to deal with it.

The pain was too great now, and it was causing her to hallucinate. She saw a sparkling blue body of water surrounded by swirling white mist. It was the lake near Twinleaf Town, from which she started her journey as a coordinator. She was homesick.

"Lake Verity…" She whispered before she became enveloped in darkness.

* * *

Verity.

The word sent an electric shock through Paul's mind. Everything was crystal clear, sharply defined. For the first time in almost three weeks, Paul felt human, and alive.

He was Paul Verity, and he was not going to let Yveltal win.

His mind went down like a crunching fist, and crushed the will of the Destruction Pokemon with the force of a thousand Oblivion Wings combined. In his mind's eye, he saw the smirking face of Yveltal shatter into a thousand pieces like the market he had destroyed moments ago.

The backlash from the effort was enough to send his mind into a temporary blackout, but not before he did one last thing. Using the last of his willpower, he used psychic to launch the troublesome blue-haired girl to the beach, as he crash landed into the ocean.

* * *

When Dawn awoke again, she was lying on a stretcher. The loud wailing of an ambulance siren sounded in the distance. The vision in her left eye was still blurry, and no visual stimuli were reaching his right eye at all. When she inhaled, it was as if she breathed in a fire blast from her quilava.

"Hang in there, Dee-Dee!" She heard Kenny's voice. He sounded close, but Dawn could not find his face. Her vision was growing hazy. Soon, her hearing began to falter as well.

She reached out her hand, but despite all the bodies crowded around her, no one grasped it in return.


	3. II) Freedom of Imprisonment

_Hotel Internationale (2)_

 ** _So, the author finally shows her face after four months of inactivity...I hope my readers forgive me...if I haven't already been forgotten, that is..._**

 ** _*Warning: I'm not very familiar with eye injuries, so if anything that Dawn's ophthalmologist says is medically inaccurate, please be considerate. Thanks!_**

* * *

 **II. Freedom of Imprisonment**

* * *

Dawn Berlitz supposed that she should be happy.

She could honestly not remember a time when she had so many visitors at once, nor when she received so many flowers and cards. It seemed as though all of her friends had delivered their condolences - those who were nearby came in person, while those who were far away relied on phone lines and the Internet.

She even had some surprise visits. Zoey arrived all the way from Snowpoint City in Sinnoh, while May came from Olivine City in Johto. The latter also brought an unexpected guest - the infamous Drew Hayden, winner of the most recent Johto Grand Festival, with all of his witty charms and green-hair-flicking-arrogance.

Meeting her celebrity crush in person should have made her day, even if it was clear that Drew could not become Dawn's potential love interest as he was clearly infatuated with May (not that Dawn minded, of course). But not today.

Not when she was attached to a mechanical ventilator and over a dozen dripping tubes.

Not when the heart monitor kept drawling out that long, hollow beeping sound at least once every hour.

Not when she was so paralyzed that she could not even feel her body.

And definitely not when, despite all the analgesics, her right eye felt as though it was being peeled from her face by a scorching hot blade.

Dawn Berlitz was not happy. And she doubted that she ever will be.

* * *

Paul stood on the outskirts of Allearth Forest. Since the incident in Slateport City, he felt more in control of his own behavior. He could remember the events of a full day at a time, which had not been possible for the first two and a half weeks after his 'headache', as he liked to call it.

He felt almost normal. That other, irrational part of him became only a small voice at the back of his head, occasionally ordering him to do something. Most of the time, he had full control of his actions, although he still questioned his motives for doing some things. Why was he so invested in taking down Xerneas?

He was burdened with too many memories, spanning the time of millennia. Most of the more recent ones were of travelling through Kanto, then Johto, then Hoenn, then Sinnoh, then back to Kanto, but he also remembered being asleep at the bottom of a pit. How he could possibly complete both of those tasks simultaneously, he had no idea. Perhaps he dreamed of competing in all those leagues? But Paul was not capable of dreaming.

The earlier memories consisted of a hazy slumber, but he also recalled some more vivid scenes. The birth of a glorious palace in the heart of Allearth forest. A bloody battle against Zygarde in his 100% form. And worst of all, a bitter betrayal by his fairy sister. It seemed as though he went by a different name back then - Yveltal, what a strange name.

The most recent memories were the strangest. He remembered fear, fear and pain. Fear of losing his identity and a splitting headache that prevented him from thinking. He remembered a dozen carbink and a noibat, not to mention an electivire, but he could not understand why.

Why was he afraid of losing his identity when it had been so clear all along? He was Paul, he had always been Paul. Paul the human, Paul the Yveltal, Paul Shinji Verity. Now, he had to take over Xerneas' hotel.

* * *

The first week after the accident was terrible.

Dawn's mind felt too cloudy to respond properly to environmental stimuli, so she slept most of the time. Normally, she did not mind sleeping, but possibly due to the effects of analgesics, she had unnaturally vivid dreams. She constantly found herself revisiting the night that the market was destroyed. It was as if her mind was a video recording on repeat, incessantly conjuring up grotesque images of the carnage that the Destruction Pokemon unleashed.

If she was being honest to herself, the comparison was not accurate. After all, no video recording stimulated the pain receptors in one's skin, nor the chemoreceptors on one's tongue. Dawn did not just have to suffer through watching the disaster unfold all over again. She had to _relive_ it - _feel_ her body shiver in trepidation, _smell_ the noxious odor of burning plastic, and _taste_ the dreadful power of those unnerving purple eyes. Every moment she did not spend with visitors, she was left to her own devices, imagining, experiencing, enduring.

By the second week, the health care workers in the Intensive Care Unit near Slateport thought that her condition was stable enough for her to be transferred to a local hospital in Sandgem Town. Of course, due to her two broken ribs, she was still not allowed to do anything outside of bed. Kenny and Barry, being the gentlemen they were, decided to accompany her back to their home town. They paid her frequent visits, but it was her mother who kept her company most of the time. Her mother was great, but with no one else to converse with, life tended to get a bit monotonous.

At least there was a television in the hospital. Dawn still could not see through her right eye, but her left eye had perfect vision on its own, so she kept in touch with the outside world through her favorite news channels.

It turned out that she did not want to see the news.

She learned of the disappearance of three people. The first was Paul Verity from Veilstone City, who was reported to be missing nearly two weeks ago when his Honchcrow was encountered by an anonymous traveler near Solaceon City. Based on an indirect translation from the traveler's wormadam, the honchcrow had claimed that Paul had died in a forest in Kalos, but since Dawn knew from listening to translations from Piplup that even the simplest statements could be incomprehensibly distorted in interspecific conversations, she decided that the account was not 100% trustworthy. They would need Meowth from Team Rocket to know for sure.

The other disappearances were of Gary Oak, a researcher from Pallet Town, and Misty Waterflower, the gym leader of Cerulean City. Gary had gone to Kalos to study mega evolution, but was reported to be missing after wandering off near Avignon Town. Misty had gone to search for him, but she had also vanished. This was less than a week ago.

Dawn was quite upset at hearing this. Misty and Gary were both good friends of Ash Ketchum, her former travelling companion through Sinnoh. Even Paul had been a rival, who, although initially hostile had parted on friendly terms. She knew that Ash would be very upset over their disappearance. She wondered if he knew.

The majority of the news, however, was about Dawn.

Grey was a legendary Pokemon from Kalos by the name of Yveltal. Apparently, since no one had actually seen it until now, everyone had hoped it did not exist. Its counterpart was Xerneas, the Life Pokemon, which technically made Yveltal the 'Death Pokemon', but of course, a euphemism had to be used, so Yveltal was actually the Destruction Pokemon.

Everyone hoped Yveltal did not exist because they feared death enough as is. No one wanted to deal with a deity who could kill in the blink of an eye.

Dawn had extinguished that hope by ringing that fire alarm and bringing Yveltal to everyone's attention.

Luckily, Yveltal seemed to have vanished just as abruptly as it came. It could not be located anywhere, and people wished that it would never be sighted in human civilization again.

Unfortunately, that also meant that Dawn became the first and last person to see the legendary, which meant that the media was clamoring for interviews. It was only the fact that her respiratory injuries prevented her from speaking that kept reporters away. For now.

Dawn was also a popular news topic because of the Hoenn Grand Festival. Due to her untimely injury, she was automatically disqualified from the final round, which meant that Kenny became Hoenn's newest Top Coordinator. But since almost all of the major contest magazines had predicted Dawn's victory, this did not sit well with fans.

Of course, there was also the looming question of whether Dawn would continue to compete in contests at all. Everyone knew of her severe injuries, and only those who were really delusional would believe that they could be healed completely.

Dawn was not delusional. And from the amount of pain she was experiencing given her analgesics, she knew she would be lucky if she could ever see with her right eye again.

* * *

"Dawn, dear. There's someone special here to see you!" Her mother announced. They were currently in the Jubilife City Hospital, and despite the seriousness of the situation, her mother appeared bright and cheerful to help her daughter stay strong. It was likely that Dawn's optimism was a result of her influence.

Dawn was not in a cheerful mood, however.

"Mom, it's just an ophthalmologist. No need to be so excited."

"Well, it is a type of doctor you've never had to see before, so at least have some interest."

"It's still not very exciting though..." Dawn muttered.

It had been three weeks since the accident, and Dawn's ribs had healed enough for her to talk again. Of course, she still had to be extra careful with them, as it still hurt to breathe deeply sometimes. The wounds on her arms and legs were also recovering into faint scars.

Her eye injury had not gotten much better. The attending physician had done her best to facilitate recovery, but this had so far only succeeded in healing the damaged flesh and skin on her right cheek. Her eye was still oddly swollen, and she could not see anything.

Now that her more life-threatening respiratory problems were taken care of, it was time to consult a specialist about her eye.

It was then that a man with peach colored hair in his thirties entered the room.

"Hello Dawn," the man greeted amicably. "I'm Doctor Schoenberg, but you can call me Dr. S for short. Nice to meet you." He extended a hand, which Dawn shook mechanically. Her gaze was focused on the open doorway. There, standing with a disdainful expression, was a teenaged girl with curly peach colored pigtails.

"My, it's nice to see you again, Dawn," Ursula greeted, her voice laced with venom. She gave Dawn a once-over, taking in her bandages and scowling expression. "Why look at you! You're a mess! You get in a fight at a contest 'cause you lost?"

"Did _you_ lose in your last contest? Because I didn't take you for someone who'd quit coordinating to become some doctor's assistant." Dawn smiled smugly at Ursula. Or at least she tried to. Since the entire right half of her face was still bandaged and anesthetized, it looked more like she was grimacing in pain.

"Oh no Dawn, I'm afraid you're awfully mistaken. My uncle here-" she gestured at Dr. S, who was currently frowning as he examined results from Dawn's earlier optical coherence tomography, completely unaware of the escalating tension between the two girls - "has let me come observe his work for a day as a _reward_ for winning four contests in a row!" Ursula paused with a haughty expression on her face for dramatic emphasis. "I believe that is better than your best record."

"Oh really, but my Grand Festival record is ten times better than yours. You've never even made it to the top 16," Dawn pointed out.

Ursula was momentarily speechless. Dawn had a good point. At that moment, Dr. S spoke up. "Dawn, I would like to do a physical examination of your eye. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

At Dawn's approval, Dr. S brought forward a tonometer. He shined the attached light into Dawn's right eye. After a few moments of taking pressure measurements, he beckoned for Ursula to have a look. Dawn was not particularly pleased about this development, but decided not to argue.

After only a brief glance Ursula gasped. "Arceus, Dawn, your cornea looks terrible!"

"Ursula, do not use language like that. You are causing unnecessary anxiety to the patient," Dr. S chastised, to which Ursula pouted.

"It's alright, Dr. S, I'd rather know the whole truth," Dawn responded.

"Okay then, if you insist. Dawn, it is with great misfortune that I inform you that your eye may have to be completely replaced by an artificial device if you are ever to see again. The damage is too great for surgery to be effective." The doctor paused for Dawn to take this in, gauging her reaction.

Dawn was only mildly surprised. She was expecting something like this.

"You suffer from corneal damage, vitreous hemorrhage, and a detached retina. It also appears that there is significant damage to your optic nerve, although I will have to do further tests to know the extent. Furthermore, I caution you against drastic head movements since the fluid pressure in your eye is abnormally high, and thus may burst."

During this entire explanation, Ursula nodded vigorously every time Dr. S used a technical term, likely to show off her knowledge of parts of the human eye. Fortunately, Dawn knew the words too, and, since she knew a few more as well, she decided to annoy Ursula a bit.

"Certainly, Dr. S, I will keep that in mind. If I may ask, is this pressure mostly in my aqueous or vitreous humor?" Dawn winked at Ursula, who seethed with anger.

Dr. S was surprised by Dawn's question. "Well, it should be mostly in the aqueous humor, since that's what the tonometer indicates, but since your blood is leaking into the vitreous humor, I would not be surprised if the pressure there grows high as well. All in all, I caution you to be careful. Anything else?"

"Not really." Dawn smiled. Despite the fact that Ursula loathed her, Dr. S was really nice. Or so it appeared.

"Alright then. That is all I have to do with you today. I will go talk to your mother and attending physician about scheduling an eye surgery within the next week." With that, the doctor left the room, leaving Dawn alone with Ursula.

"Well well well!" Ursula clicked her tongue. "Dawn, you've certainly outdone yourself this time. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner, or later though, wasn't it? Your injury? With the way you train your Pokemon and those disgusting poffins you make, it's no surprise that they finally turned against you. What attacked you this time? Your mamoswine or your pachirisu? Or was it that stupid little penguin?" Ursula let out a derisive laugh. "Should I send out my plusle and minun on you? I'm sure they'll be a great comfort, Dee-Dee."

The nickname really hit a nerve. It was fine when Kenny used it, but in Ursula's mouth, the name sounded a hundred times worse. In the back of her mind, she knew that Ursula was just toying with her, since everyone knew how Dawn had gotten injured - it was all over the news. Although she knew that she should not let Ursula get to her, the cruel words about how she mistreated her Pokemon were painful to hear. Her Togekiss had almost died that night at Slateport, and it made Dawn extremely guilty that she had made such an impulsive decision to fight Yveltal.

Just as the blue-haired coordinator was about to rebuke, Ursula spoke again.

"You know, I would get a good look at myself in the mirror if I were you. You look ridiculous."

Dawn became speechless, because at that precise moment in time, a metallic delivery truck passed by the window to the hospital room. And due to the juxtaposition of a smooth surface with a pane of reflective glass, Dawn glimpsed, for the first time since the accident, her reflection.

There is something extraordinary about actually seeing something with one's own eyes, or, in this case, eye, that makes it tangibly real. Dr. S would attribute the human reliance on sight to the fact that the largest area of the human cerebral cortex is dedicated to processing visual stimuli, but even someone with no interest in ophthalmology knows that the phrase "seeing is believing" is often true.

It is an indescribable shock for an individual whose beauty is her defining characteristic to wake up one morning and feel that half of her face has been destroyed. But it is even more traumatic for her to _see_ her injuries in a fully exposed state, enlarged and distorted by the movement of a truck and pressure from a medical examination, especially when she has yet to come to terms with the reality of her situation. And especially if it is accompanied with ruthless remarks by a spiteful bystander.

Dawn, in her current state of mind, was not prepared. She stood rigidly, completely dumbfounded.

Ursula grinned triumphantly. She had also noticed the passing truck, and knew that Dawn had seen her reflection for the first time. Intending to do more damage, she spoke once again, this time holding a hand mirror that she had picked up from the nearby counter.

"I have a very nice mirror here, Dawn Berlitz, that I can graciously lend to you if you would like." Ursula waved the mirror in Dawn's visual field, purposefully forcing the blue-haired coordinator to see her dreadful reflection several more times.

"Stop..." Dawn whispered with her eyes shut, "please stop."

"Sorry, I can't hear you!" Ursula chanted. Noticing that Dawn no longer had her eyes open, she executed a plan that she had plotted before Dr. S had even arrived. Placing one hand on Dawn's mouth and one on her shoulder, she pushed Dawn to the floor using her own body weight. Then, before Dawn had a chance utter any sound, she smashed the mirror against the ceramic tiles, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Help! Help! Dawn, what are you doing to me? HEEELLLPPP!"

When Dr. S, accompanied by numerous hospital staff, arrived, they saw a helpless girl with peach-colored pigtails and a bloody gash on her leg, along with a nearly unconscious blue-haired girl holding the handle of a broken hand mirror.

* * *

Based on the available evidence, along with Ursula's persuasive acting and the support of Dr. S, the hospital staff 'logically' assumed that Dawn had been the perpetrator and Ursula the victim. Dawn tried her best to argue, but no one paid her any attention.

Later, when Dawn's mother, having been locked in the women's washroom by Dr. S, arrived to speak on Dawn's behalf, the hospital staff decided to exempt Dawn from any charges of offense. After all, Ursula's injuries were relatively minor, and Dr. S had claimed that Dawn appeared to be highly upset due to her injuries during his earlier examination.

But that did not prevent a serious blow to Dawn's public reputation.

"Hey Dee-Dee, how are you feeling?" Kenny asked on his visit to the Sandgem Town Clinic a few days after the incident.

"We saw the news that you attacked an anonymous victim in the Jubilife City Hospital. Rhonda hosted a special interview with some doctor with a really long name, Shoe-burger or something. He said you've got a damaged optic nerve which is supposed to make you 'mentally unstable' or something," Barry added.

"Do you believe him?" Dawn inquired in a small voice. She was worried that her friends would avoid her now that she had been informally labelled as mildly insane. For the past few days, the hospital staff at Sandgem Town had grown more anxious around Dawn, and even the attending physician had become less amiable. Dawn had even been forced to send all her Pokeballs to her mother for fear that she would attack health care workers.

"Naw, of course not," Kenny assured her. "You may be crazy, but you're definitely not insane." He winked, and continued, "I am curious though, how did you end up assaulting someone anyways?"

"I prefer not to talk about it," Dawn muttered. "It was Ursula, though, if that clarifies anything."

"Then you did the right thing!" Barry exclaimed. "I probably would've punched her too if I were you. And gave her a high interest fine too!"

"Nobody ever pays your fines," Kenny remarked, chuckling. "On a more serious note, though, Dawn, Barry and I want to leave for Kanto soon. I'd like to stay until you fully recover, but the Indigo Plateau Conference is starting in three months. Barry needs time to get all his badges, and I should probably start training for contests too."

"Wait, what?" Barry was clearly surprised. "We never discussed this! I'm not leaving for Kanto until Dawn recovers. My Pokemon are in top condition, so I'll need two months max to get all my badges. Plus, Dawn hasn't said no to our invitation! I consider her part of our team until she says otherwise which means we're waiting for her."

"Aww, Barry, that's kind of you, but you really don't need to. You and Kenny should leave without me," Dawn stated.

"See? Dee-Dee says it's fine," Kenny noted. "I really don't want you to miss this year's conference. I heard that the bike roads in Kanto are really bad this year so we'll need more time to travel around to the gyms."

Barry frowned. "Well, even if Dawn really doesn't mind, I still don't think we should-"

"The Kanto Grand Festival is in three months, isn't it?" Dawn suddenly asked. Realizing that she had impolitely interrupted Barry, she quickly covered her mouth.

"But Kenny's already won a Grand Festival. Surely, he doesn't need to compete in another one so soon," Barry noted.

"Err, yeah...I guess that's true..." Kenny agreed reluctantly.

"If you're feeling bad about both of us staying, Dawn, one of us can stay here and keep you company," Barry proclaimed. "I mean, Kenny likes you and all anyways, so maybe he can stay."

Kenny blushed lightly. "But I'd still like to compete in Kanto. Like you said, my Pokemon are in a good condition now too, so I don't want to miss the opportunity."

"Now, now, that's not nice, Kenny. You've gotta consider Dawn's feelings. There's always next year for the Grand Festival, but there's only one Dawn Berlitz. If you miss this opportunity to show her your love, she might never like you back!"

Kenny blushed more profusely. "Well, we don't even know if she'll like me anyways. She's never responded to my hints before. Plus now that she's injured-" Kenny took a glance at Dawn and stopped abruptly. He had been so absorbed in arguing with Barry that he had almost forgotten that Dawn was there.

"Sorry Dawn," Kenny finished quietly. But that the least considerate way to finish the sentence. And Dawn, who had been silent during this exchange, had found out everything that she needed to know.

The reason why Kenny was suddenly so desperate to travel to Kanto was clear, or at least it appeared to be clear, to Dawn. What Kenny's real mentality was, she would never find out. But at that particular point in time, she could not help but construe Kenny's reason for wanting to leave so desperately for Kanto as contempt.

 _He no longer wants to associate with me now that I've been stigmatized by the media_ , Dawn thought to herself.

"Umm, Kenny, Barry, can we discuss this another day? I'm really tired now and I think I want to get some sleep."

"Sure thing, Dawn," Barry agreed. "We can come back tomorrow. Right, Kenny?"

"Err...yeah!" Kenny, again, appeared reluctant. And Dawn, of course, associated this with his behavior earlier in that day's conversation, drawing the worst possible conclusions yet again.

"Bye Kenny! Bye Barry!" She feigned cheerfulness as she sent away her childhood friends. Inside, however, Dawn Berlitz was more depressed than she had ever been.

As soon as the boys left the room, the wounded coordinator dropped to the floor. And a searing hot pain went through her right eye as her aqueous humor exploded.

* * *

Dawn ran.

As soon as she saw the first drops of dark red liquid hit the ground.

Later, she would rationalize this impulsive behavior with multiple thoughtful reasons. Dr. S was sure to interpret her newest injury in the worst possible manner, potentially further devastating her already notorious reputation. There was no doubt that Ursula would seek out even more media outlets to report the incident. And who knew what the hospital staff would do to her when they found her with a bleeding eye on the floor?

But at that moment, Dawn did not think of any of this.

Instead, she simply ran.

Ran through the doors of the hospital room and out into the streets. Ran past a multitude of confused pedestrians ambling aimlessly on the sidewalk. Ran straight into the forest, not caring that brambles ripped her clothing and that stones tore into her feet.

She ran without thinking.

Her mind was monopolized by a throbbing pain. Incoherent emotions swirled chaotically, and she allowed them to possess her in their devouring clutches. The burn in her right eye waxed and waned like the tide, and she followed it as if it were a second heartbeat, driving her on and on.

A whisper at the back of her mind urged her to stop running, reminding her of all that she was leaving behind - family, friends, Pokemon - but it was drowned out by an all-consuming wave of rage and despair.

Dawn did not stop running, until she plunged face-first into Lake Verity.

* * *

Electricity.

An electric shock greater than a hundred thousand volts went through Dawn's body when she hit the water. Rather than sinking, a swirling blue mist lifted her into the air, and when Dawn glanced upwards, she noticed a ghostly figure with two long tails.

"Mes- mesprit?" She gasped. But there was no reply.

Instead, another shock of greater magnitude than the first pulsed through her. And Dawn's mind became flooded in oblivion.

* * *

When she awoke again, Dawn was lying on an unfamiliar lakefront. The ground was unnaturally barren, covered with neither sand nor grass but rather a thin layer of grey soot. In the surrounding area, mosses and shrubs indicative of primary succession grew in irregular patches, interspersed with patches of some pink and shiny substance. From the angle of the sun's dimming rays, one could determine that the time was late in the afternoon.

Slowly moving to a sitting position, Dawn surveyed her surroundings. The events of that day left her mind spinning in confusion. She thought that she had seen Mesprit at Lake Verity, but although she was still by a body of water, this pond was not Lake Verity. She guessed that she may have been teleported - it was the only logical explanation.

She winced at a dull ache in her chest. _Great_ , she thought to herself, _I probably damaged some unhealed parts from all that running_. Her white hospital gown was torn and covered with blood, and small cuts interlaced her arms and legs. The right half of her face, which had practically been burning before, was completely numb now. Remembering how her eye had ruptured earlier, Dawn decided that she should deal with her injuries.

Taking care not to scrape her blistered feet against the ground, Dawn crawled gingerly towards the water. Without glancing at her reflection, she splashed some water on a large gash on her left arm.

"Zzz," the water sizzled vigorously, and Dawn swiftly jerked her arm back in surprise. She watched in horror as the skin that she had just washed a moment ago began to turn black.

 _Oh, no. The water must be poisonous or something,_ Dawn realized despairingly. She face-palmed herself with her non-poisoned arm, and proceeded to directly examine the water for the first time.

At first glance, the water appeared perfectly ordinary. It was clear and free of debris. But upon closer inspection, Dawn realized that the pond was anything but normal. There was absolutely nothing growing in the water - no algae, no fish, no insects. Furthermore, the bottom of the pond seemed to glow a very faint green. Finally, although the surface of the pond had no ripples, it produced absolutely no reflection.

 _Wow, and to think I was afraid of looking directly at the water because I didn't want to see my reflection again. I might die here, and it'll all be my fault._

Dawn slammed her hands down in frustration, subconsciously wiping her now blackened arm in a nearby pile of moss. Instantly, a freezing pain traveled up her arm. Dawn again gasped in surprise and retracted her arm.

This time, she was almost too afraid to examine the arm, but after a moment of hesitation, she looked, and what she saw left her in utter bewilderment. The blackened skin was falling off, and where it left her arm, new epidermis was had grown in, completely unblemished.

Filled with new-found elation, Dawn grabbed a handful of moss and wiped down the entire blackened area. Where the green moss touched her arm, it turned white and withdrew heat like a Sheer Cold attack. But Dawn endured the stinging pain, because it cleansed the poison from her skin and helped it to recover.

Once her scars were completely healed, Dawn dipped her right arm into the pond water. This time, she savored the full experience. The water was lukewarm and had some anesthetic properties. It was so comfortable, in fact, that she almost forgot that the water was killing her cells.

For the next hour, Dawn worked on various parts of her body, alternating between the heavenly experience of toxic water and the demonic experience of healing bryophyte. While repairing a broken fingernail, Dawn discovered that,while the water dissolved tissue of every type, the moss could only regrow damaged cells into tissue of the same type as the first undamaged cell that it contacted.

This was problematic, of course, because it meant that Dawn could not heal her right eye. There were too many tissue layers for the moss to work accurately.

 _Perhaps I could at least heal the cornea,_ Dawn reasoned.

This turned out to be an impractical idea.

Because Dawn could not see her reflection, there was no way to know when to stop using the water and begin applying the moss, so she could only splash a few drops of water on her eye and hope for the best.

If someone had a car with a broken engine, the best way to fix the car would not be to open the car hood, throw a wrench into it, and hope that it fixes the problem. Thus, one can imagine that, unless Dawn was extremely fortunate, the result was not good.

But of course, Dawn _was_ quite lucky, and with the help of some biology education and magical plants, she was actually successful in healing just her cornea.

Maybe Dawn was a little too lucky, because as soon as she removed the freezing moss, she began to see. Very clearly.

Dawn was overjoyed when vision returned to her right eye. She closed her left eye and admired her surroundings. In the light of the setting sun, the pond turned a very warm shade of orange, contrasting beautifully with the surrounding moss and shrubs. The pink substance, which Dawn guessed was some sort of crystal, glittered enchantingly.

Although she had always preferred the sunrise, Dawn was still awed by the grandeur of a well-timed sunset. Watching the change in color of the clouds overhead gave her hope, for the first time since the accident, that her circumstances may eventually improve.

That was, until a wisp of white mist caught her right eye.

* * *

Paul had finally sneaked into the hotel. It had taken him much longer than expected to complete the simple task of bypassing the memory willow and the cell-energy barrier that guarded the hotel. In fact, Paul would probably still be plotting outside hotel were it not for the help of two young girls with green eyes.

Paul despised himself for his stupidity. How had he not thought of such a simple solution? He had spent all his time trying to enter from the various leaves that he had not even considered the roots. The irrational part of him kept urging him to just attack the barriers, and it was often so distracting that her forgot his plans. In fact, he had such a splitting headache tonight that there was no way that he could stay inside the hotel without damaging something and thus alerting Xerneas to his presence.

Currently, Paul stood by the front entrance, listening to the hypnotic chime of the golden grandfather clock that stood in the lobby. He pondered why Xerneas had to create such an elaborate device to attract her new recruits. Once they entered the hotel, customers never really went to see the clock again. In fact, if they did not revisit the lobby within the first forty-four days, they never would.

Just as Paul was deep in contemplation, he noticed a small figure approach the hotel. She was dressed in a very damaged white gown, and her unkempt long hair blew wildly in the evening breeze. Occasionally, she would stop in her tracks, close her left eye, and then resume her pace.

 _What odd behavior,_ Paul observed. He assumed this was another one of Xerneas' new recruits and questioned whether he should interfere. After some brief pondering, he decided against it. He was just about to reenter the hotel when he glimpsed the girl again, this time much closer.

Slim figure, midnight blue hair, and those exquisite, diamond-like eyes. One of which has now forever lost its color due to Paul's own carelessness.

 _I cannot let her suffer again_ , Paul though, and he was surprised at his own tenderness. He realized that he cared for the girl for some reason, whether out of guilt or gratitude, he did not know. The fact that he felt such emotions made him very annoyed at himself, and it was almost enough to prevent him from helping her. Almost.

Instead, he transformed himself, allowing that other, irrational part take over his body and mind, allowing chaotic energy to fill him. Using psychic, he knocked her unconscious, before flying over to carry her towards a safer entrance to the hotel, where the two girls Orange and Green were sure to be waiting.

Keeping a clear mind in his Y forme was always difficult for Paul, so he found it very odd that he could still formulate coherent thoughts when he dropped the troublesome girl off moments later.

As he left the girl where Orange could see her, his final thought consisted of a simple question to which he would never find the answer  
 _Why was Dawn Berlitz at Hotel Xerneas?_


	4. III) Hotel Xerneas

_Hotel Internationale (3)_

 _ ***Note: There is a condition called amblyopia in which the brain chooses to ignore visual stimuli from one of the two eyes. Because Dawn's right eye is not by any means completely healed, she has this condition. Her right eye, due to retinal detachment, will send many distorted images that her brain will usually unconsciously filter out. This will trick her into thinking that she has normal vision (unless of course she covers her dominant left eye), but as readers, we should remember that that is not really the case...**_

* * *

 **III. Hotel Xerneas**

* * *

Orange detested her job. It was not even a job, since she had no obligation to execute it. Sometimes, she wondered what would happen if she just gave up. Due to the hotel's magic, she only needed to forget her purpose for forty-four days in order to be exempt from it for all of eternity. But if there were two things she feared more than impossible tasks and bug type Pokemon, they were losing her identity and being forgotten by the people she loved.

These were the fears that drove her to follow the hotel's convoluted pipelines every second evening, vigorously searching for an exit route. Her companion, Green, was currently seeking for evidence on where the bulk of the hotel's memories were stored. So far, aside from finding a storage place for temporary memories, their excursions had been fruitless.

Orange did not trust Green. She would very much prefer if Blue was the one looking for the memory storage place, but Blue, like most new recruits to the hotel, had very little analytical ability. So it was Green or nobody.

Yawning heavily, Orange slid off the pipe on which she was climbing. She could feel that it was getting late, and the small amount of dinner that Blue had smuggled to her had not been enough for her high seventeen-year-old metabolism. She was exhausted and hungry, and she needed a break.

Orange was just about to make one last trip around the fifth floor when she noticed a faint rustling from the nearby pipes. Quietly she tiptoed over to the source of the sound, and what she saw there made her nearly gasp in astonishment.

A young girl lay in the pipe's entrance. She was wearing a billowy white hospital gown that was in no proper condition to be worn in public by a girl of her age. The blue-green glow of the pipes augmented large dark stains on her dress, and upon closer inspection, Orange realized that it was blood.

 _What is this girl doing here?_ Orange wondered. She supposed that the girl was one of the hotel's inhabitants, since there was no way that she could enter the hotel through the pipes...or could she?

Just as she was questioning what she should do with the girl, she heard faint footsteps behind her. Turning around rapidly, she almost punched the newcomer in the face before she recognized her as Green.

"Woah, Orange, calm down. It's me." Green put her hands up in the air and winked, which made any bystander question her honesty.

"Next time you show up, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Well, normally, I'd say hi, but this is a special circumstance," Green remarked with a hint of annoyance. "I mean, I had to make sure that our visitor was actually unconscious before talking." As she spoke, Green bent down to look at the unconscious girl.

"My she looks terrible."

"Yeah, I noticed." Orange rolled her eyes. Way to state the obvious.

"I wonder where she's from...oh hey look, there's a note." Green pointed to the girl's left hand, and sure enough, Orange noticed a small slip of paper, so inconspicuous that she had not noticed it. Orange shuddered slightly. Green had really sharp eyes.

"Should I read the note?" Green asked.

"No thanks, I can read it myself if you're done with it."

"Fine then." Green handed Orange the paper.

 _To Orange and Green,_  
 _This girl is from your world with the red and white balls. Her name is Dawn. I found her at the hotel lobby. She did not enter through normal means, so she might remember more than the average new recruit. I expect that you will protect her as a fellow trainer._  
 _PS - she has travelled with Ash Ketchum before. That should be reason enough to help her.  
(Once read, please destroy this note.)_

"What is this thing?" Orange cried, throwing the note on the ground. "What does he mean, 'I expect that you'll protect her'?! Who does the writer think he is, claiming that he knows Ash!" Orange began to stomp away.

"Wait." Green quickly grabbed Orange's hand. "Aren't we going to help her?"

"I wouldn't trust the sender of that note. He knows too much for this not to be a trap."

"I think I know who wrote the note." Green smiled smugly. "And we must help this girl. If she really knows Ash, and if she remembers her past, then we could have a helper."

"But what if the part about knowing Ash is a lie? And don't say we can just ask her when she wakes up. We can't say anything about Ash, because she might be a spy."

"Oh, we won't have to ask her anything. If the sender of the note is who I think it is, then keeping her in our room will give us a bargaining chip when we need it."

"Wait, what? She's living with us too? That's unacceptable!" Orange protested.

"I know you don't trust over half of what I say, Orange, but trust me this once. If you want to save Ash, this Dawn girl is living with us."

Orange would have argued further, but the seriousness of Green's facial expression, combined with the fact that she was burning the note with a match that Orange had never seen before, dissuaded Orange from further comment.

* * *

Dawn Berlitz awoke to the smell of freshly baked pancakes.

She found herself lying on a bed with light blue bedsheets, with little recollection of the events of the previous day. She remembered Lake Verity, a poisonous pond with healing moss, and then...she was not so sure what happened afterwards.

She was definitely in a hotel room. There were two single beds, a closet, two doors that probably led to smaller rooms, and a round coffee table surrounded by two armchairs. The only thing the room lacked was a window.

How did she get from a pond in the middle of nowhere to a hotel?

Before Dawn could really ponder on her current situation, the scent of breakfast drew closer. A translucent girl with long, ash-brown hair and slate-green eyes approached her bed.

 _Wait, translucent?_

Dawn rubbed her eyes, questioning her sanity. She pinched herself on the arm too, just to confirm that she was not dreaming. When she looked up again, the girl was no longer translucent.

"Hello, my name is Green. Nice to meet you." The girl smiled warmly and reached out a hand. Dawn shook it. It felt perfectly solid. Dawn thought she probably imagined the translucence.

"Uh, hello," Dawn replied a little awkwardly. "I'm Dawn, and it's nice to meet you too." Dawn would have continued speaking, but at that moment, a loud grumbling sound came from her stomach. Dawn blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, you must be hungry. Here, these pancakes are for you. I hope they are to your liking." Green handed her the pancakes.

"Err, thanks." Dawn took the plate. "There's no peanuts in here, are there? I'm allergic."

"Oh, there are definitely no peanuts, I believe Lysandre is allergic to them too."

Assured that she would not get a nasty inflammatory reaction, Dawn could no longer resist the temptation of a high-carbohydrate breakfast. She dug into the pancakes like a munchlax, completely forgetting her table manners.

The pancakes were heavenly. They were soft yet slightly chewy, with just the right amount of butter. The syrup too, was of the perfect consistency, being viscous but not overly sticky. Dawn devoured two whole pancakes before speaking again.

"Who's Lysandre?" Dawn asked, hoping that it was the chef who cooked the pancakes.

"Oh, he's the self-designated 'manager' of this hotel." Green made air quotations as she used the word manager. "Let's just say that he's the man we go to for complaints about the quality of the meals here, because he somehow found a way to control the menu."

Dawn could not understand half of what Green was saying, but she decided not to ask too many questions. So she expressed her gratitude instead.

"Thank you, Green, for getting me breakfast. And for letting me stay in your room. If you're willing, would you kindly take me to Lysandre so that I can get my own room to stay in for a couple of days before I go home?"

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Green replied. "You can stay in this room for as long as you'd like. We'll just have to go shop for an extra bed, because someone named Orange lives here too. As for going home...well..." Green frowned.

There was a knock on the door.

"Oh I wonder if Orange is back!" Green jumped up, eager to change the subject. As Green left to open the door, Dawn thought about her words earlier. _It's almost as if I'm not allowed to go home_.

A few moments later, Green returned, holding a piece of paper.

"Dawn, someone left a note for you to meet with him in the lobby at 8:00. Would you like to go see him?"

"Who is this?" Dawn hoped that it was not Ursula or Dr. S, or even Kenny or Barry for that matter.

"Oh, he didn't say."

"Can you describe what he looks like, at least?"

"I don't know," Green stated. "All he left was this note." Green handed it over to Dawn.

Dawn relaxed considerably when she saw the printing. The looping 'y' and the squiggly 'x' was from an unfamiliar hand. Dawn knew that it was not Kenny, Barry, or any of the doctors who had cared for her. She doubted that it was Ursula either.

The note was very concise, as it only consisted of a single sentence promising Dawn a tour of the hotel if she showed up alone. Thus, it was also unlikely that it was from one of those bombastic reporters from Sinnoh's major news channels.

"Well, I guess it doesn't hurt to go see him."

* * *

About half an hour later, Dawn departed from her hotel room. As her only satisfactory item of clothing was in an unwearable state, Green had generously gifted her a new outfit, consisting of a turquoise-colored tank top, a pleated red skirt, and white running shoes.

This act of charity made Dawn extremely guilty, so much that Green had to almost resort to physical force to prevent Dawn from returning the outfit. In the end, Green had convinced Dawn to accept the present with assurances that they were old clothes from when Green first arrived at the hotel, which she claimed she had outgrown.

With her experience as a Pokemon Stylist, Dawn knew that the second part of the statement was far from the truth. Dawn observed that Green was almost exactly the same size as her, so since the clothing was not only elastic but also fit Dawn perfectly, she doubted that it was too small for Green. Dawn did not argue further, however, since it was clear that Green had lied out of benevolence.

"Since we're on the eighth floor and the lobby's on the first, let's go use the elevators," Green remarked, leading Dawn down a narrow corridor flanked by doors to what Dawn presumed were hotel suites similar to the one in which she had just slept.

As the two teenagers made their way down the hallway, however, the ex-coordinator quickly realized that this was no ordinary hotel. Although the doors were all shaped like regular hotel doors, there were no key-holes or card-scanners. In fact, unlike any hotel Dawn had ever seen before, none of the doors even had numbers.

The only identifying feature that distinguished the suites were the doorknobs, which were of myriad shapes and sizes, each distinctly unique in its strangeness. Dawn identified a handle shaped like a cube, a tetrahedron, a tape dispenser, a snail, and even one that was so large and spiky that it could only be a pineapple.

"These doorknobs sure are interesting, aren't they?" Green smiled as she observed Dawn's behavior.

"Yeah, why are they all so different?" Dawn asked.

"They're personalized to the people living in each room," Green explained. "For instance, if the customer likes pineapples, then the doorknob will be shaped like a pineapple."

"That must be really expensive," Dawn remarked. She could not imagine how much it must cost to live in a hotel that built personalized doorknobs for its inhabitants.

"Well, I suppose so. But it's mostly a one-time investment anyways, since most customers live here for quite a long time," Green informed Dawn. This made Dawn frown. What kind of hotel had permanent residents?

Before Dawn could ask more questions, a high ringing sound interrupted the conversation. The two girls had reached a small metallic door at the end of the hallway, which had opened to reveal an elevator cage that promised certain anxiety for individuals with claustrophobia.

"I'll only take you here, Dawn. After this, just press the button that says 'L' and you will be taken straight to the lobby," Green instructed.

Dawn suddenly felt nervous. "Won't you come with me?"

"Oh, no, I don't think your note-sender would be very pleased if I went down there with you. He specifically wrote that he wants to meet you alone."

"But I don't even know who sent the note!" Dawn was very concerned.

"This hotel has excellent security, so nothing bad will happen. Now, go, you're already ten minutes late." Before Dawn could retort further, Green gently pushed Dawn into the elevator, which quickly closed around her.

For a moment, Dawn considered opening the elevator door and running after Green. After all, she did not want to meet some mysterious man whom she probably did not even know, even if he did promise her a tour. What if he was a criminal who wanted to capture her and take all her money (not that she had any, but still)?

But then, Dawn remembered that she had only known Green for a total of one hour. The brown-haired girl had been kind to her, and had even gifted her some presentable clothing when Dawn did not have any of her own. But Green spun lies as smoothly as a spinarak using Spider Web, so Dawn doubted that she was very trustworthy.

The longer that Dawn pondered this matter, the more apprehensive she grew. She had already noticed numerous abnormalities to this hotel, and the way in which Green referred to the hotel as a sort of permanent residence made her question whether it was an advanced prison. Green had already suggested that Dawn could live in her room for as long as she wished. Did it mean that Dawn would never be allowed to leave?

 _Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go,_ Dawn thought miserably. If she returned to Sandgem Town, there was no doubt that the hospital staff would be furious. Everyone who knew her would be convinced of the rumors that she was truly insane, if they did not already believe it.

Considering her predicament, Dawn decided that she had nothing left to lose.

She had to find out how to live at this hotel, because there was no way that she could ever return to her own home.

And in order to accomplish this, she had to learn as much as she could about this enigmatic edifice.

Of course, the most direct resource she had available at the moment was a vague note from a sketchy individual offering to give her a tour.

So, despite having enough rational misgivings to fill two extended essays and enough irrational fears to keep a darkrai entertained for forty-four years, Dawn pressed the 'L' button.

At least, she _tried_ to press the 'L' button.

While Dawn was deep in deliberation, she had not noticed that the elevator had begun to move. And by the time she had found the 'L' button on an extremely disorganized control panel with many indecipherable symbols, the elevator had already stopped on an unfamiliar floor.

And when the doors opened, they revealed a pair of glowing, purple eyes.

* * *

"Will you shut up already?!" A male complained.

Dawn had been screaming loudly ever since the elevator doors opened, and when a plum-haired male stepped inside, she had tried to punch him. Currently, the male had both of Dawn's arms secured behind her back, and was attempting unsuccessfully to calm her down.

Deciding that he needed to revise his strategy, the male turned Dawn around to face him, and put a hand over her mouth. Unfortunately, this meant that he could no longer restrain the ex-coordinator's arms, so he ended up getting punched.

"Dawn, stop screaming." he insisted, although he doubted that it would work. It was obvious that the troublesome girl did not want to see him. For a moment, he considered leaving the elevator. After all, he was not in the mood to carry out a conversation.

Surprisingly, the high pitched wailing sound to which the plum-haired male had been nearly desensitized stopped abruptly. Recognition entered Dawn's eyes as she relaxed, and it was clear to him that the panic was over.

He removed his hand from her mouth.

"Paul," Dawn coughed, gasping for breath. "What are you doing here?" She sounded confused.

"Giving you the tour that you're late for, of course." Paul pressed the 'L' button, and the elevator began descending.

Dawn blinked in surprise, and then she smiled. "Oh, so you were the one who wrote the note! I thought it was some creepy guy who was going to capture me and drag me back to Sandgem Town. That's why I was taking so long deciding whether I should come down here...I'm sorry I'm late."

"If you were _that_ concerned, you shouldn't have come down here in the first place," Paul chastised, ignoring Dawn's apology.

"Well, _you_ shouldn't have written a creepy note without a name expecting me to come down and meet you," Dawn retorted. She appeared to be slightly angry now.

"I don't have time to argue about this," Paul stated, hoping that Dawn would not waste time disputing whose responsibility it was for her lateness. "The important thing is that you came, so now I'm going to give you a brief tour. Then you can go on to do whatever with Orange and Green and never bother me again."

Rather than 'not arguing' about the matter as Paul had bluntly suggested, Dawn began to speak at an increased volume.

"What do you mean, never bother you again? What if I want to talk to you? You're the only person I know here! I need to talk to you! If I don't talk to you then I have no one else to talk to!"

Paul winced. He had forgotten just how loud Dawn could be. The elevator had already reached the lobby, but Dawn made no motion to leave. It appeared that she was too distressed over the fact that Paul did not want to speak to her after the tour. The plum-haired trainer decided that he needed to 'console' the troublesome girl.

"You don't need to talk to me. Don't you know that girl Orange?" Paul tried to speak in a placating tone, but it sounded more like he was in pain.

"No Paul, I haven't even met Orange yet. I've only seen Green, and I don't recognize her from anywhere." Dawn's tone indicated that she was still upset, but then she frowned and spoke with concern, "Paul, are you okay?"

This question confused Paul. What did Dawn mean about whether he was okay? Quickly reflecting on the conversation that had just transpired, Paul determined that his attempt to speak 'nicely' to Dawn had not been very successful. He probably sounded like he was ill.

Choosing to ignore the question, Paul addressed the first part of Dawn's speech, "When you meet Orange, you will know her. She was one of Ketchum's friends."

"I don't think Ash has ever mentioned someone named Orange," Dawn was befuddled.

"Well, her name is not really Orange. You know that."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," Dawn seemed even more confused.

Paul was exasperated. He had hoped that Green would have informed Dawn about the basic functioning of the hotel, but apparently that never happened.

Xerneas created the hotel so that new recruits who entered through normal means lost all memories of their previous life and received a randomly assigned noun as their new name. That was why Orange and Green were named after colors. Furthermore, the hotel entrance was designed so that new recruits were not only assigned to a hotel room but also naturally learned the spatial layout of the hotel, including all of its regulations.

Because Dawn did not enter through the front entrance, she did not lose her memories, and thus did not have any knowledge of the hotel floor plan. Paul did not want anyone in the hotel other than Orange and Green to know this, of course, so he had reluctantly convinced himself to give Dawn a tour.

The fact that Dawn was not aware that new recruits to the hotel were supposed to take on a new name was a matter of grave concern, of course, because it meant that, when asked to give a self-introduction, she was likely to make a fatal mistake.

"What's your name?" Paul asked, with the intent of testing Dawn.

The ex-coordinator frowned. "I thought you already knew my name."

"Well, I forgot."

Dawn blinked. Once. Twice. Then her face heated up in anger. Paul, realizing his mistake, quickly opened the elevator door and prepared to run outside.

Luckily, no one was in the hotel lobby when Paul and Dawn exited the elevator, because if anyone _was_ , they would have become temporarily deaf for at least three days.

The commotion that followed was essentially the same as that which took place at Oreburgh Gym nearly four years ago, except that it was much more violent. With no one to restrain Dawn's wrath, and with the excellent reflective texture of the three-story lobby, one could not help but feel sorry for Paul Verity as Dawn chased after him, screaming at the top of her lungs,

"MY NAME IS DAWN BERLITZ! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT?!"

* * *

Dawn's mother had always taught her that music was powerful. Ever since she was very young, her mother had prompted her to develop an appreciation for various types of music. Dawn had initially not understood the purpose of such conditioning, but for the last several years, her experiences with Pokemon Contests had changed her views.

Music, when effectively composed, is easily the most influential medium of non-verbal communication. Through a simple progression of sound waves across various tones and timbres, one could express one's emotions to evoke nearly universal empathy. Synchronized through harmonious intervals and dissonant chords, music is virtually boundless in its possibilities. Thus, when the pipe organ in the lobby began to sound, Dawn's sensory faculties were immediately overcome.

The music was not especially loud or rhythmic, but it had a particular magnetism that drew the audience to listen, and then to experience. Dawn was no exception, so, despite her anger at Paul, her raging thoughts acquiesced to the calming effects of the resonant tune. Her feet, which had been forcefully pounding in pursuit of the plum-haired offender, began to relax, and as Dawn sank to the polished wooden floor beneath her, she closed her eyes.

The fluid melody prompted her to become mindful of her surroundings, such that when she opened her eyes again, she began to closely examine the lobby. There was a golden grandfather clock with a face larger than her mamoswine and a pendulum engraved with an intricate, plectonemic design. Behind the clock was a large pane of glass, so immaculately transparent that it produced no reflection. Beyond the glass, trees with orange foliage stretched endlessly in every direction.

Turning around, Dawn noticed a grandiose pipe organ that covered the entire wall where the entrance should be. In the very center of the lobby, a spiral staircase wound gradually up towards the ceiling, disappearing through a partly concealed hole. Counting the steps, Dawn realized that the lobby must have been at least three stories high.

With the exception of where the staircase passed through it, the ceiling was completely covered with a brass-like substance. Upon perceiving this, Dawn immediately looked down, afraid to glimpse her reflection.

She realized her mistake, however, when a haggard looking girl stared back at her from the polished hardwood floor.

After a moment of surprise, Dawn gradually entered a state of composure. The music was simply too placating for listeners to feel any intense emotions. As her uneasiness faded away under the comfort of the golden lights, Dawn finally regained some of the rationality that had been lost since the hospital incident with Ursula.

Cautiously, she peered down at her reflection on the floor.

Since the incident in Slateport City three weeks ago, Dawn had never inspected her face beyond a few fleeting glimpses. Thus, she could not determine whether the condition of her face was improved or exacerbated by the healing moss treatment. However, the author at this point assures readers that the ex-coordinator's condition has been significantly improved. The inflammation in her right cheek had largely been quelled, and the skin was now free of scars and blemishes.

Unfortunately, Dawn quickly discovered a few glaring errors in the healing process. For one thing, the right half of her face felt as if it was still anesthetized, which probably meant that none of the nerve endings or sense organs had been properly restored. But at the present, that was the least of her worries.

The skin immediately below her right eye had become a patchwork of tissue. The bone had grown abnormally thick and several collagenous bundles were visible below partially healed skin. The eye itself appeared abnormally large, with a clear cornea that covered a bloody, brown mass of dead capillaries and nerves.

By this point, Dawn refused to look any further, for she did not wish to be caught in another bout of hysteria. So instead, she tried to focus on a particularly appealing patch of orange trees outside. By shifting her attention towards the forest, she successfully cleared her mind of all misgivings about her face. Oddly, however, thoughts of a plum-haired trainer entered her consciousness.

Dawn found herself in a state of self-loathing as she thought about her earlier exchange with Paul. She had once again exploded over the trivial matter of her name, and had practically chased him out of the elevator.

 _I have probably ruined any chance at a civil conversation with him,_ Dawn reflected dejectedly.

A chilly breeze blew around the lobby and the blue-haired girl shivered. The music in the lobby had stopped, and she suddenly felt as if she was being watched. A door slammed shut behind her from where the pipe organs were located, followed by a slight rustling of wings. And as a dark shadow descended upon her, Dawn clenched her fists.

"Ouch," a male voice exclaimed as Dawn punched her target on the leg.

"Oh, sorry, Paul! I didn't know it was you!" It appeared as though Dawn had once again damaged her nonexistent friendship with Paul, and Dawn secretly face-palmed herself in frustration. _There's no way that he'll take me on a tour now._

"Whatever," Paul replied and wiped his leg. To Dawn's relief, he did not appear to be angry.

"Umm...so, can we...umm," Dawn bit her tongue. She was unsure of how she should phrase her question. She did not want to remind Paul that it was all her fault that their tour was now hopelessly delayed, but she knew that if she did not mention it, she might lose her only chance at learning about the hotel.

To her relief, Paul spoke for her. "If you're done with sitting on the floor, let's go on our tour. I don't want to miss lunch."

* * *

Paul was a surprisingly good tour guide when he wanted to be. He offered thorough introductions to every part of the hotel, from the design of the lobby to the magical balconies that led to various alternate worlds on the top five floors. He even patiently tolerated Dawn's constant outbursts at the hotel's strange regulations, such as the fact that most new customers lost their memories and had to use colors for names.

Or at least, that was what Dawn _wanted_ to say, for if Paul was ever hired as a tour guide, he could probably bankrupt an entire corporation within a single trip. During the entire journey from the first floor to the forty-third floor, Paul spoke a total of four complete sentences and made direct eye contact about one and a half times. It was such that Dawn's entire tour consisted of brief periods of standing in the elevator, followed by slightly longer periods of wandering around a certain floor of the hotel, and even longer periods of attempting to get information out of an antisocial plum-head.

If it were not for the fact that Paul always provided Dawn with a pre-written note detailing the features of every floor of the hotel, Dawn would probably have murdered him with her own bare hands.

" _The dining hall, where food is served four times each day, at 4:00, 14:00, 29:00, and 44:00. People eat at 4:00, 14:00, 29:00 and sleep from 34:00 to 2:00. Food is served at long tables, buffet-style. Only chance to meet with hotel inhabitants is during eating. You should not converse with strangers unless necessary. Safest to stick with Orange and Green, grab food, and eat in individual hotel rooms. Try not to get too fat,"_ Dawn read out loud.

They had completed their tour of the upper floors of the hotel and had just returned to the fifth floor to visit their last destination: the three-story high dining hall. As usual, Paul had simply handed Dawn a sheet of white paper on which he had pre-written a concise explanation of key features of that floor, or in this case three floors. Dawn had to re-read the note several times to memorize the full meaning.

When she looked up, Paul reached out his hand into which Dawn placed the note. Then he took out a box of matches, struck one, and burned the note.

"Questions?" Paul asked after several moments.

Dawn took a deep breath to reorder her thoughts. She had already formulated her questions, but she wanted to refine them further so that she got the most out of Paul before he grew annoyed by her questioning.

"First, how many actual hours is 34:00 to 2:00?" Dawn inquired. Earlier on, Paul had informed her that the hotel's clock time was different from the outside world. Each day was divided into 44 hours, each with 44 minutes and 44 seconds per minute, rather than 24, 60, and 60 (this meant that each day had 85184 seconds rather than 86400 seconds). Thus, Dawn wanted to know how many hours of sleeping time she would get in more familiar units.

"6.5," Paul replied.

"Wow, that's a lot shorter than the sleep we get back home."

At this remark, Paul gave Dawn a meaningful glare, to which Dawn immediately covered her mouth. Because most of the inhabitants lost all memories of their previous life upon entering the hotel, they did not have a "home" to compare the hotel to. Thus, by comparing the hotel's time to that of time "back home" Dawn would have exposed herself if anyone suspicious had been listening.

"You have to think before you speak," Paul stated firmly.

"But sometimes I just say things I can't control. I'm sorry I said that. I guess I'll try to talk less next time," Dawn apologized.

"Trying is not enough," Paul insisted. "You cannot make the mistake under any circumstances. If anyone learns that you bypassed the hotel's barriers, you will be in grave danger."

"Even Orange and Green?" Dawn asked.

"With the exception of Orange and Green. They already know, so there is no point concealing the fact that you remember your past. I caution you against revealing personal information to them, however, especially to Green, for I do not trust her."

"If they're not trustworthy, why do I even have to live with them anyways?"

"Because you have no other choice at the moment. They are the only people capable of resisting the hotel's control. If you are to have any hope of seeing your family again, it is by helping them find the exit."

At the mention of her family, Dawn began to grow homesick. She missed her mother, her friends, and especially her Pokemon. How long had it been that she had last talked to Piplup? She was about to ask Paul whether he missed his family as well when people began to enter the dining hall.

"Lunch is starting. Go find Orange and Green, and do not converse with strangers," Paul advised. He began to walk briskly towards the door.

"But wait! Why do I have to go to Orange and Green? If they're not trustworthy, why can't I be with you?" Dawn exclaimed as she ran out the door after Paul.

When the plum-haired male turned around, his eyes were colder than Dawn had ever seen them.

"Do you really know if you can trust me?"

"No, I don't think I can trust you at all, Grey."

* * *

Dawn did not know how she managed to find the "8" button on the extremely disorganized elevator panel after Paul disappeared. She had no idea how she was able to locate Green and Orange's hotel suite among all the identically shaped hotel doors. In fact, she was in such a state of mental exhaustion that Dawn did not even notice that the door handle to her suite had been replaced by a pink diamond.

Dawn could not stop thinking about her situation. Although most of her original questions about the hotel had been answered, too much was still unknown. Even out of what she currently knew, her only assurance was that there was no way that Ursula or the media could find her here. At least, not without losing their identities in the process.

No, Ursula could not enter the hotel, just as Dawn could not leave. For reasons that she still could not understand, Dawn was now permanently stuck in a hotel in some alternate universe where no one could be trusted.

She could not trust anyone, for even the one person whom she had hoped could save her had abandoned her. Although there was a small part of her that had not yet given up hope, most of the fire within her had been extinguished the moment Paul revealed that he did not want to help her any more than he had already done.

Of course, there was a minuscule part of her, inconspicuous but slowly growing in influence, that already knew how her story would end. The moment Paul had revealed that he had taken on the name "Grey" to blend in with the nameless inhabitants, Dawn's left occipital lobe had pieced the puzzle together.

The only reason why her consciousness was still unaware that Paul Shinji Verity was the one who destroyed her life was because she was still too blind to see clearly.


End file.
